Market Midday: Stocks Mixed, Pending Home Sales Drop; Netflix After Bell • 7/16/25

Summary

Markets were mixed with chip stocks pulling back and the Dow slightly higher led by UnitedHealth. Iran warned the US about the Strait of Hormuz, while housing data showed pending home sales missed estimates and homebuilder sentiment remained deeply negative. Retail sales ticked up in June but were the lightest since January. Ahead of Netflix earnings, an Oppenheimer analyst flagged that recent price increases likely caused significant subscriber downgrades.

• Major averages mixed: Dow up, S&P 500 and Nasdaq down on chip weakness.
• Iran’s warning virtually closes Strait of Hormuz, threatening a fifth of global oil transit.
• Pending home sales drop 5.4% in June, missing estimates, as affordability pressures persist.
• Homebuilder sentiment stays below 40 for 15 months, the longest stretch of negative sentiment since 2012.
• Retail sales rose slightly in June but were the lightest since January.
• Netflix reports after the bell; analysts expect soft viewing numbers and subscriber downgrades from recent price hikes.