04:07 PM EDT, 03/13/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity markets ended mixed Wednesday as tech heavyweights retreated.

* Mortgage applications rose by 7.1% in the week ended March 8 as 30-year fixed mortgage rates fell below 7%, according to Mortgage Bankers Association. This follows a 9.7% increase in overall activity in the week ended March 1.

* The House of Representatives passed a bill that could potentially ban TikTok in the US. The bill, now heading to the Senate, receives 352 yea, 65 nay, one present and 14 no votes.

* April West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up $2.24 to $79.80 per barrel, while May Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $2.23 to $84.15 after the Energy Information Administration reported US oil inventories fell by 1.5-millon barrels last week, while consensus estimate by analysts polled by Reuters called for a 1.3-million rise in stocks.

* Apple ( AAPL ) said that it is in full compliance with a court injunction requiring it to let app developers provide links and buttons to payment options for users outside the App Store. The company was responding to Epic Games' federal court filing in California, earlier reported by Reuters, that accused Apple ( AAPL ) of violating the injunction. Shares of Apple ( AAPL ) fell 1.2%.

* Williams-Sonoma ( WSM ) surged 18% after the company reported a fiscal Q4 beat and a dividend raise.