01:55 PM EDT, 08/15/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were mostly lower intraday as investors assessed the latest economic data, including a report showing that retail sales increased less than expected last month.

The Nasdaq Composite was down 0.4% at 21,622.6 after midday Friday, while the S&P 500 fell 0.2% to 6,455.7. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3% to 45,023. Among sectors, technology and financials saw the biggest drops, while heath care paced the gainers.

In economic news, US retail sales rose less than projected in July amid declines in purchases of building materials and electronics, government data showed.

"Although labor market conditions are softening, the mighty consumer continues to showcase resiliency," BMO Capital Markets said. "That, combined with still-stirring price pressures, will keep (Federal Reserve) officials cautious."

US consumer sentiment unexpectedly fell in August as inflation expectations rose, preliminary results from a University of Michigan survey showed.

"This deterioration largely stems from rising worries about inflation," said Joanne Hsu, Surveys of Consumers director. "Current personal finances declined modestly amid growing concerns about purchasing power."

New York manufacturing growth this month reached its highest level since November, though firms turned less optimistic sequentially about future conditions, a survey by the New York Fed showed.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 1.1% at $63.26 a barrel intraday. "Oil prices slipped following weak economic data from both the US and China, stoking demand concerns," D.A. Davidson said in a client note.

US Treasury yields were higher, with the 10-year rate rising 3.7 basis points to 4.33% and the two-year rate adding 1.8 basis points to 3.76%.

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, later Friday. The meeting could signal "a possible easing of Ukraine-related sanctions," D.A. Davidson said.

Trump recently announced an additional 25% tariff on imports from India in response to the Asian country's continued purchasing of sanctioned Russian oil.

The US will set tariffs on semiconductors in the coming two weeks, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing Trump.

In company news, Applied Materials ( AMAT ) shares slumped nearly 14%, the steepest decline on the S&P 500. The semiconductor equipment maker late Thursday posted stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results, though its outlook for the current three-month period trailed Wall Street's estimates.

Flowers Foods ( FLO ) lowered its full-year outlook Friday as the packaged bakery food producer reported fiscal second-quarter revenue below market expectations amid softening traditional loaf sales and increased competition. The company's shares fell 4.3%.

UnitedHealth ( UNH ) shares jumped 14%, the top gainer on the Dow and the S&P 500. Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK/A ) (BRK.A, BRK.B) disclosed in a filing that it purchased more than 5 million shares in the health insurance giant in the second quarter. Berkshire's class A and B shares were down 0.5% each.

Gold was little changed at $3,382.80 per troy ounce, while silver fell 0.3% to $37.95 per ounce.