Tech slide drags S&P lower while Dow ekes out gain

The S&P 500 slipped -0.51%, weighed down by a sharp -1.39% drop in the Nasdaq-100, while the Dow bucked the trend to close up 0.41%. The Russell 2000 eased -0.21%, and the VIX jumped 8.91%, signaling rising caution. Gold gained 1.61% as a haven play, while 20Y Treasuries (TLT) fell 0.29%.

Sector performance was split: Consumer Discretionary (+2.41%), Materials (+1.86%), and Financials (+1.75%) led gains, while Energy (-3.66%), Technology (-2.62%), and Semiconductors (-2.33%) lagged. Breadth was modestly negative, with 5,882 advancers against 6,469 decliners.

Among individual names, IDXX surged 21.85% and ENPH rose 9.16%, leading gainers. On the downside, INTC fell 8.62%, ORCL dropped 8.61%, and STX declined 7.54%, pacing the laggards.

News flow centered on stock-specific comparisons and sector outlooks, including utilities, consumer retail, and AI infrastructure plays, alongside several securities-fraud class-action deadline reminders, with no major macro catalyst driving the session's moves.