Markets shift as Berkshire stake and retail data move prices

U.S. stocks move mixed at midday after the July retail sales report, with Berkshire's stake in UnitedHealth lifting insurers.

Berkshire Boosts UnitedHealth as Markets React to Retail Data

U.S. equities were mixed at midday after the July retail sales report came in as expected. UnitedHealth Group led gains in the Dow and S&P 500 after Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a 5 million share stake worth about 1.6 billion dollars at the end of the second quarter, lifting the insurer sector and lifting peers Molina Healthcare and Centene.

Salesforce rose after an upgrade from D.A. Davidson that cited rising interest from activist investor Starboard Value. Intel rose on a report the Trump administration is weighing a government stake in the chipmaker. Applied Materials warned that macro headwinds and tariff risks, especially in China, are dampening its near-term outlook, while SanDisk gave softer guidance tied to higher startup costs. Hims & Hers Health slid after FTC scrutiny was disclosed. In broader markets, oil and gold futures fell as the dollar weakened and the 10-year Treasury yield edged higher.

A single large stake can shift sentiment, and Berkshire's move in UnitedHealth helped lift a key part of the healthcare complex even as other sectors faced headwinds. The day shows the market’s sensitivity to capital flow signals and the ongoing tension between solid consumer spending data and policy-driven risks. The tech and chip-makers remain exposed to broader macro uncertainty and regulatory talk, underscoring the uneven terrain for investors.

Policy and earnings signals will keep driving the mood. As headlines pile up around tariffs, government stakes, and antitrust scrutiny, traders must separate transient headlines from durable earnings momentum. The challenge for readers is to gauge which moves reflect real shift in fundamentals and which reflect narrative shifts in Washington and boardrooms.

Highlights

Markets will keep testing how much headlines move price as new earnings and policy news arrive.