05:17 PM EDT, 07/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes ended the week mixed as investors digested quarterly earnings and June inflation data alongside President Donald Trump's denial that he plans to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

* The S&P 500 closed at 6,296.79 on Friday versus 6,259.75 a week ago. The Nasdaq Composite stood at 20,895.66 compared with 20,585.53, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at 44,342.19 versus 44,371.51.

* Earnings beats from major corporations lifted risk sentiment, with traders finding little reason to fade the momentum, according to a FXEMPIRE research note. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs this week.

* Consumer prices rose 0.3% last month, matching forecasts and topping May's 0.1% gain. Annual CPI accelerated to 2.7% from 2.4%, ahead of the 2.6% consensus. Core CPI rose 0.2%, below the 0.3% forecast, while the annual rate hit 2.9%, in line with estimates.

* The Producer Price Index was flat in June after rising 0.3% in May, below Bloomberg's 0.2% consensus. Core PPI also held steady, cooler than the 0.2% forecast and the prior 0.4% gain.

* After reportedly telling Republican lawmakers he'd fire Powell, Trump later called it "highly unlikely," per CNBC. This follows criticism from Russell Vought, chair of the Office of Management and Budget, over cost overruns in Fed building renovations.

* The Fed released a letter Thursday defending those renovation expenses, a growing flashpoint among administration officials and GOP lawmakers.

* At NYU's Money Marketeers event, Fed Governor Waller backed a July rate cut of 25 basis points and suggested a brief pause if the data holds. Powell, meanwhile, favors a cautious stance amid tariff-related uncertainty.

* Retail sales rose 0.6% in June, beating the 0.1% forecast and rebounding from May's 0.9% decline. Excluding autos, sales climbed 0.5%; excluding both autos and flat gas station figures, sales rose 0.6%.