04:25 PM EDT, 08/14/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes were mixed this week as easing inflation and a drop in retail sales boosted the odds for a monetary policy pause in September, while the Trump administration signaled a pivot toward maximum economic pain on Iran.

* The S&P 500 closed at 7,785.76 on Friday versus 7,709.08 a week ago. The Nasdaq Composite stood at about 26,729.16, compared with 26,348.02 a week earlier, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended lower at 53,732.41, versus 53,885.02 at the end of last week.

* Among firms with market capitalizations exceeding $200 billion each, three of the 10 worst performers were in the equal-weighted Dow, according to data compiled by Finviz. The leader among the Dow laggards was Cisco ( CSCO ) , down 8% this week, as fiscal Q4 services revenue missed expectations and adjusted product margin declined.

* Sandisk (SNDK) said it expects sales to grow in the mid-to-high teens from fiscal 2028 through fiscal 2030. Wells Fargo and RBC Capital Markets lifted price targets for the company. Shares soared 35% this week.

* Across the three indexes, consumer cyclicals, basic materials, and communication services led underperformers while energy and technology topped the gainers.

* Both headline and core consumer and wholesale price inflation rates declined from a year ago in July.

* Retail sales slid unexpectedly in July, the most since May 2025, after rising in the previous month.

* Following the inflation and retail sales data, the probability of the Federal Reserve extending its policy pause in September stood at 67% Friday, up from 55% a week ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The remaining 33% likelihood was for a 25-basis-point increase, down from 44% a week earlier.

* Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US plans to unveil measures on Iran next week that have "never been seen," CNN reported. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the US can sustain its blockade against Iran "indefinitely," Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster, reported.