US stocks were mixed in afternoon trading as investors digested economic data, corporate news, and geopolitical developments. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% after briefly hitting a record high, while the Nasdaq fell 0.5% amid weakness in chipmakers, with Applied Materials tumbling 14% on a downbeat forecast and Nvidia losing 2%. The Dow outperformed, rising over 100 points and nearing its first record since December, lifted by a 14% surge in UnitedHealth after Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a major stake. Retail sales in July rose 0.5%, meeting expectations, but the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index dropped to 58.6 from 61.7 as inflation concerns grew. Markets were also cautious ahead of President Trump’s meeting with President Putin, while his plan for new tariffs on steel and semiconductors added to trade uncertainty. All three major indexes poised for weekly gains, supported by hopes of a 25 bps Fed rate cut in September, with healthcare stocks leading for the week.