Friday, 24 July 2015 19:47
NEW YORK: US stocks were mixed in opening trade Friday, with Amazon soaring after its surprise profit report and pulling the Nasdaq higher, but concerns about poor Chinese manufacturing data dented market sentiment.
Five minutes into trade, the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index was up 7.89 points (0.15 percent) at 5,154.30, lifted by Amazon’s 16.8 percent jump after the online retail giant reported an unexpected swing into profit in the second quarter.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 7.72 (0.04 percent) to 17,724.20, while the broad-based S&P 500 slipped 1.77 (0.08 percent) to 2,100.38.
US stocks had finished in the red for the third straight day Thursday after some disappointing earnings reports.
News that a closely watched gauge of Chinese manufacturing activity had tumbled in July added to concerns about the slowdown in the world’s number-two economy.
