USA: Stocks Slip, S&P 500 Posts 4th Winning Month.

US stocks ended lower on Friday as the S&P 500 retreated from from record highs, amid ongoing signs of persistent inflation in the US economy. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, the Nasdaq dropped 1.2%, and the Dow lost 92 points, or 0.2%. Core PCE, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, rose 2.9% year-over-year in July, matching expectations but marking the fastest increase since February. Tech and AI-related shares pressured the market, with Nvidia down 3.4% and Dell falling nearly 9.5% due to competition and higher costs for AI products. Alibaba surged 12–13% on strong cloud computing results, while Caterpillar and Marvell declined on tariff and revenue concerns. Despite Friday’s losses, the S&P 500 and Dow recorded their fourth consecutive month of gains, and the Nasdaq posted a fifth straight monthly rise. Markets will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.