S&P 500 is slightly up today while technology stocks decline

The S&P 500 index posted a slight gain this Friday, driven by investors' demand for sectors considered more defensive. Despite the advance during the session, the main indicator of the United States stock market was still on track to end the week with negative performance.

The move took place amid profit-taking in technology companies and a search for stocks linked to healthcare, utilities, and consumer staples. The scenario was also influenced by new economic data and expectations related to Federal Reserve monetary policy.

The main financial indicators showed mixed behavior throughout the session. The S&P 500 was traded at 7.359,00 points, up 0,02%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0,08%, to 51.876,70 points, while the Nasdaq was operating practically flat at 25.359,35 points.

Among the smaller-cap indexes, the Russell 2000 posted a decline of 0,03%, quoted at 3.006,90 points. Meanwhile, the VIX volatility index remained practically unchanged at 18,88 points, with a slight drop of 0,05%.

In the commodities market, gold rose 1,43%, reaching US$ 4.105,40 per ounce. WTI oil for delivery in August 2026 posted a sharp decline of 4,10%, being traded at US$ 68,97 per barrel.

Among digital assets, Bitcoin was traded at US$ 59.910,89, accumulating a gain of 1,19% on the day. The positive performance of the market's largest cryptocurrency contrasted with the pressure observed on part of technology stocks.

During the session, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose about 0,5%, while the Dow Jones posted a gain of approximately 181 points. Even so, the weekly performance showed signs of weakness for the indexes more exposed to the technology sector.

The S&P 500 was on track for a loss of more than 1% in the week. The Nasdaq, more concentrated in technology companies, accumulated a decline close to 4%. In contrast, the Dow Jones remained on a positive path, with an advance of about 1% in the period.

Healthcare stocks led the day's gains. Eli Lilly shares surged almost 6%, while Johnson & Johnson posted a gain of more than 3%. AbbVie also rose more than 2%, increasing investor interest in companies considered more resilient in the face of market uncertainties.

In addition to healthcare, the consumer staples, financial, and utilities sectors also posted positive performance. The consumer staples segment advanced more than 1%, while the financial and utilities sectors posted gains of 0,8% and 0,4%, respectively.

In the opposite direction, the information technology sector came under pressure after a report indicated that OpenAI would be evaluating postponing its initial public offering until next year. The news raised concerns about the pace of investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

According to JPMorgan traders, the postponement raised doubts about the “sustainability of its infrastructure spending, given the delay in financing from the capital markets”.

Adam Crisafulli, of Vital Knowledge, also commented that the postponement of OpenAI's IPO “could slow the pace of infrastructure spending”.

Micron Technology shares fell about 2%, accompanied by similar losses in AMD and Intel. The move increased pressure on the global semiconductor segment.

The sell-off in technology stocks spread across international markets. In Asia, SoftBank Group, one of OpenAI's main investors, led losses by falling more than 12%. South Korea's Kospi index fell 5,81%, while the Kosdaq dropped 4,10%.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 lost 4,15%, while the Topix fell 1,32%. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng ended the day down 1,76%, while mainland China's CSI 300 fell 3%. In Europe, the Stoxx 600 index also closed in the red, reflecting the global move to reduce exposure to the technology sector.

Despite losses in artificial intelligence-related stocks, consumer confidence data above expectations and more favorable inflation prospects helped limit declines in the markets. The support came even after Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said he now considers possible the need for another interest rate hike later this year.