Stock Market Today, Aug. 17: Markets Inch Lower and Treasury Yields Rise as Investors Wait for Retail Earnings

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 0.50% to 7,747, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) slipped 0.31% to 26,647, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) lost 0.51% to 53,460 as indices drifted near record levels ahead of pivotal retail corporate earnings reports.

Gold prices rose 0.80% to $4,472.90 as of U.S. market close, and the 10-Year Treasury yield climbed 0.05% to 4.68% while Industrials led sector gainers, Communication Services finished as the primary laggard, and Utilities also fell.

Today's biggest moves

Space Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ:SPCX) shares rebounded 4.5% on new positive notes from analysts, while Carvana (NYSE:CVNA) was today's biggest loser on the S&P 500, dropping 7.3%.

Sandisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) gained 9% as memory chipmakers showed strength, though Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) faced selling pressure amid broader communications sector weakness.

What this means for investors

It was a largely unspectacular day for the market, as investors mostly seemed curious to see how earnings from retailers like Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT), Home Depot (NYSE:HD), and Target (NYSE:TGT) will turn out this week. In this sense, it seemed like a "risk-off" day as the market took a wait-and-see approach on further buying.

The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield hit 5.3% -- its highest mark since 2007 -- highlighting this cautious stance. As bond yields rise alongside the potential for rising interest rates from the Fed, it will be interesting to see how growth stocks fare -- especially those tied to the AI realm.

Really, there was no single major event that caused the market to dip today. With U.S. markets still near an all-time high, today's breather is nothing to panic over one way or the other.

Josh Kohn-Lindquist has positions in Space Exploration Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Home Depot, Meta Platforms, Target, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.