NASDAQ, S&P 500 slip, Dow Jones flat; Warsh declines to signal July rate stance

The US stocks closed lower on Wednesday, July 1, dragged by losses in the technology sector.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average settled flat at 52,305.24, down 0.027%. The S&P 500 fell 0.22%, while the NASDAQ composite declined 0.66%.

Earlier in the day, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh declined to comment on the central bank's move at its rate-setting meeting later this month. However, he noted that prices were "too high", but inflation risks have come down. Warsh said that the Fed's primary objective is to deliver price stability and refrained from giving any forward guidance.

NASDAQ, in an update, said that the first half of 2026 was the strongest in the United States' history. It oversaw a record-breaking $129.3 billion raised from new listings led by SpaceX, which alone raised $85.7 billion.

“The first half of 2026 demonstrates the strength of Nasdaq's position at the centre of the innovation economy. By connecting capital to opportunity, we're helping the world's most ambitious companies access the resources they need to innovate, scale, and lead," said Jeff Thomas, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Listings at Nasdaq.

Apart from SpaceX, H1 CY26 featured the industry's largest IPOs from semiconductor pioneer Cerebras, biotech innovator Parabilis, and quantum computing leader Quantinuum. Other key listings this year include gas engine manufacturer Innio, aerospace and defence supplier Arxis, and geothermal energy developer Fervo Energy.

Asian stocks trade mixed

Asian shares were trading mixed early Thursday. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.90% to 69,840. South Korea's Kospi descended 2.31% to 8,111.37. The Shanghai Composite was down 0.66% to 4,085.

Singapore's Straits Times and Hong Kong's Hang Seng were trading with the gains of 0.51% and 1.25%, respectively.

In energy trading, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 1.14% to $67.80 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, decreased 0.84% to $70.86 per barrel.