Market Overview - Major U.S. indices showed mixed performance, with the Dow Jones down 34.30 points (0.08%) at 44,911.82, the Nasdaq up 6.80 points (0.03%) at 21,629.77, and the S&P 500 down 0.65 points (0.01%) at 6,449.15, as traders await key retail earnings and Fed Chair Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole conference [1] - European stock indices closed mixed, with the Stoxx 600 up 0.08%, while the DAX 30, CAC 40, and FTSE 100 saw declines of 0.18%, 0.50%, and 0.21% respectively [1] Commodity and Currency Markets - WTI crude oil futures rose by $0.62 (0.99%) to $63.42 per barrel, while Brent crude oil futures increased by $0.75 (1.14%) to $66.60 per barrel [2] - The U.S. dollar index was above 98.10, gaining approximately 0.3% during the day [2] - Bitcoin fell over 1% to below $116,400, and Ethereum dropped over 2% to below $4,360 [2] - Spot gold hovered around $3,334, down nearly 0.1%, while LME copper, aluminum, zinc, lead, nickel, and tin saw various declines [2] Economic Indicators - U.S. homebuilder confidence fell to its lowest level since 2022, with the overall market conditions index dropping 1 point to 32, contrary to economists' expectations of a slight increase [4] - The percentage of builders using sales incentives rose to 66%, the highest since the pandemic, and 37% reported price reductions [4] - EU exports to the U.S. fell by 10% year-on-year in June, reaching just over €40 billion (approximately $46.8 billion), marking a two-year low [5] Company News - The Trump administration is reportedly discussing a potential acquisition of a 10% stake in Intel (INTC.US), which could provide the company with more support to revitalize its struggling foundry business [6] - Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) announced a price reduction for its semaglutide medication to $499 per month, aimed at improving accessibility for uninsured patients, leading to a stock increase of over 6% [6] - Bank of America reiterated a "Buy" rating on Apple (AAPL.US) with a target price of $250 [7]