Zhong Guo Zheng Quan Bao·2025-08-20 23:21Market Performance - The three major U.S. stock indices closed mixed on August 20, with the Dow Jones up 0.04%, the S&P 500 down 0.24%, and the Nasdaq down 0.67% [2] - The S&P 500 index has declined for four consecutive trading days, driven by concerns over the high valuations of large tech stocks, leading investors to sell tech shares and seek returns in other sectors [1] Technology Sector - Major tech stocks experienced a broad decline, with the index of the seven largest U.S. tech companies falling by 1.07%. Notable individual stock movements included Apple down nearly 2%, and Amazon, Tesla, and Google each down over 1% [4] - Semiconductor stocks also faced downward pressure, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropping 0.72%. Intel saw a significant decline of 6.99%, while Micron Technology fell nearly 4% [4] Federal Reserve Insights - The Federal Reserve's FOMC meeting minutes from July 29-30 revealed a consensus to maintain the federal funds rate target range at 4.25%-4.5%. However, two members voted against this decision, advocating for a 25 basis point cut to prevent further weakening in the labor market [9] - The minutes indicated that while there were fluctuations in net exports, recent indicators suggested a slowdown in economic activity during the first half of the year, with inflation remaining slightly elevated and economic uncertainty persisting [9] Commodity Market - On August 20, international precious metal futures generally rose, with COMEX gold futures increasing by 1% to $3392.2 per ounce, and COMEX silver futures rising by 1.51% [6] - Oil prices also saw an increase, with U.S. crude oil main contract rising by 1.73% to $62.84 per barrel, and Brent crude oil main contract up by 1.76% to $66.95 per barrel, driven by a significant decrease in U.S. crude oil inventories [7]