04:42 PM EDT, 08/19/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes ended mixed on Tuesday as a drop in the so-called Magnificent 7 stocks pushed technology and communication services sectors sharply lower, while Home Depot's ( HD ) results helped limit the downside for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.5% to 21,314.95 following an intraday decline in six Mag-7 stocks, including Nvidia ( NVDA ) , which was down 3.5%. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% to 6,411.37, and the Dow was little changed at 44,922.27. Real estate, utilities, and consumer staples led the gainers.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick confirmed that the Trump administration is seeking a stake in Intel ( INTC ) , CNBC reported. Lutnick cited national security concerns as the reason behind the potential investment. The government may convert part of its previously committed $8 billion in CHIPS Act grants into an equity investment of up to 10% in Intel ( INTC ), a UBS Securities note cited media reports.

Separately, Intel ( INTC ) will receive a $2 billion equity investment from SoftBank Group at $23 per common share, the companies said. Shares of the chipmaker jumped 7%, the top gainer on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

In exchange for lifting export restrictions, Nvidia ( NVDA ) and AMD (AMD) recently agreed to pay 15% of their revenue to the US government from specific artificial intelligence chips sold to China.

In earnings news, Home Depot ( HD ) kicked off quarterly results of bulge-bracket retailers, reporting higher fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings and net sales on Tuesday. Shares jumped 3.2%, the top gainer on the Dow.

For the second time this year, the home improvement retailer reaffirmed its guidance, Bryan Hayes, strategist at Zacks Investment Research, said in a note. "The results arrived despite a housing market sales slump that has been in place since 2022."

In geopolitical news, the US could offer air support to Ukraine as a form of defence assistance in the event of a peace deal with Russia, but would not send US troops in country, according to media reports. CNN cited a White House official saying that specifics of security guarantees are the subject of ongoing negotiations between the US, European allies, and Ukraine.

Plans for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are now underway, CNN reported, citing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Earlier, the Kremlin refused to commit to a meeting but stopped short of ruling out further talks.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures dropped 1.5% to $62.49 a barrel.

Gold futures fell 0.5% to $3,360.1 per ounce, and silver futures dropped 2% to $37.26.

Most US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year yield down 3.5 basis points to 4.31% and the two-year rate slid 2.5 basis points to 3.75%.

Investors will hear from Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman late Tuesday as she gives remarks on technology in the banking system at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, Stifel said in a note. On Wednesday, Fed Governor Christopher Waller will also speak at the same symposium, and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic will participate in a moderated conversation at the Fintech South 2025 conference.

The speeches all come ahead of the Kansas City Fed's annual Economic Policy Symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to be held from Thursday evening, the Stifel note added.

In economic news, July housing starts rose by 5.2% from the previous month to a 1.428 million annual rate, compared with expectations compiled by Bloomberg for a 1.297 million rate after an increase to a 1.358 million pace in June.

Building permits fell by 2.8% to a 1.354 million rate in July, compared with the 1.386 million rate expected and following a decline to a 1.393 million rate in June.