US stocks closed mixed as investors await earnings reports from major retailers and the Federal Reserve's (Fed) annual symposium in Jackson Hole.
Major retailers such as Walmart Inc, Home Depot Inc and Target Corporation are set to report earnings results this week, providing clues on the impact of trade uncertainty and inflation expectations on US consumers.
Retail sales rose as expected on Friday, but consumer sentiment was weighed down by inflation concerns. The Housing Market Index fell to its lowest level since December 2022 on Thursday.
Investors are now awaiting Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole symposium from August 21 to 23 for a clearer picture of the economic outlook and the central bank's policy direction.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.08% to 34.30, the S&P 500 fell 0.01% to 0.65, and the technology-focused Nasdaq rose 0.03% to 6.80.
In other news, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Tuesday to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine after Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without concrete results.
Trump also said he would contact Putin, with the possibility of the three leaders meeting together.
Meanwhile, Intel shares plunged 3.66% after Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration was considering taking a 10% stake in the chipmaker.
Dayforce shares jumped 26% after private equity firm Thoma Bravo was reported to be in talks to acquire the human resources management software company.
