US Stocks Mixed as Retail Sales Disappoint and Reddit Soars

US stock markets experienced mixed trading on Friday, following a day after the S&P 500 reached an all-time high. Investors weighed weaker-than-expected retail sales data and developments in the Middle East.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down less than 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.2%. In contrast, Reddit shares surged 14.7% after being added to the S&P 500 index.

US retail sales declined 0.6% in July, falling short of economists' expectations. However, analysts pointed to lower gasoline prices and Amazon's Prime Day event as contributing factors.