Apple takes the crown as stocks finish mixed

The big picture. U.S. stocks end mixed. The S&P 500 rises 0.0% to 7,413.1802, the Dow adds 0.5%, and the Russell 2000 gains 0.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite slips 0.2%. The intraday S&P path starts at 7,471.28 and fades into a narrow finish near 7,413.

Sector action is split. Staples leads with a 1.5% gain, followed by Discretionary at 1.3%, Comm Svcs at 1.3%, and Financials at 1.0%. Energy drops 2.1%, Tech falls 0.9%, and Utilities lose 1.3%. CNBC Markets says Apple ends the day as the world’s most valuable company, passing Nvidia.

Volatility edges higher. The VIX rises 0.5% to 18.67, while the 9-day measure jumps 7.6% to 18.13. Treasury yields back up across the curve, with the 10-year at 4.641% after a 0.8% decline on the day.

Overseas, the day is softer across much of Asia. The Nikkei falls 2.7%, the Shanghai Composite drops 1.6%, the Kospi sinks 5.7%, and the Sensex slips 0.4%. Europe is firmer, with the DAX up 1.4%, the CAC 40 up 0.9%, and the Stoxx 600 up 0.8%.

Crypto trades lower with the broader risk tone. Bitcoin falls 1.1% to 64,614.9805, Ethereum loses 1.2% to 1,931.0, and the total crypto market cap drops 1.1% to $2.3T. CNBC and CoinDesk both flag the market’s focus on AI-related headlines and an upcoming Fed event.