04:13 PM EDT, 07/24/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes were mixed Friday as crude oil declined amid China-backed Pakistani efforts to mediate peace between the US and Iran.

* Pakistan is exploring a pathway to restart stalled peace negotiations between the US and Iran following a Chinese initiative, Reuters reported Friday, citing three Pakistani sources.

* The July flash reading of manufacturing conditions from S&P Global slipped to 53.8 from 53.9 in June, compared with 54.4 expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

* August West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $2.61 to settle at $89.58 per barrel, while September Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $3.47 at $97.22.

* Salesforce ( CRM ) shares were up about 4.3%, the top gainer on the Dow, after the company said Friday the US Department of Veterans Affairs awarded the company, through its distribution network, a three-year $1.6 billion agentic enterprise license agreement.

* C.H. Robinson Worldwide ( CHRW ) shares were down nearly 9.2%, among the worst performers on the S&P 500, after the company said a jury in Dallas County, Texas, issued a $604 million advisory verdict against the firm and two other defendants in a lawsuit stemming from a trucking accident involving an independent motor carrier.