U.S. markets opened Friday with no clear consensus, as major indices headed in different directions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.21% to 47,960.85, shedding over 100 points in early trading. The NASDAQ fared worse, slipping 0.93% to 23,458.32, while the S&P 500 bucked the trend with a 0.36% gain to 6,870.03.

Sector Movers: Tech Leads, Real Estate Lags

The divergence across indices reflected some clear sector preferences. Information technology shares powered higher with a solid 1.5% gain on Friday, providing much of the lift for the broader market. On the flip side, real estate stocks dragged, declining 0.7% as investors rotated away from rate-sensitive plays.

Baidu Plans Major Spinoff

Baidu Inc. (BIDU) shares climbed after the Chinese tech giant announced plans to spin off and separately list the H shares of Kunlunxin (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The move gives investors a clearer play on Baidu's AI chip business.

Notable Gainers

ChowChow Cloud International Holdings Limited (CHOW) exploded 51% to $0.9364 after reporting year-over-year increases in both revenue and net income for the first half of 2025.

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IRWD) jumped 55% to $5.24 following the release of fiscal 2026 guidance that evidently impressed investors.

AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (UAVS) gained 31% to $1.0743 after securing a contract to sell six eBee TAC tactical mapping drones to the U.S. Army.

Notable Decliners

Outlook Therapeutics, Inc. (OTLK) cratered 56% to $0.6801 after receiving a complete response letter from the FDA regarding its ONS-5010/LYTENAVA biologics license application resubmission. The FDA indicated it cannot approve the application in its current form for treating wet age-related macular degeneration—a devastating setback for the company.

Oriental Rise Holdings Limited (ORIS) declined 18% to $1.22.

Semilux International Ltd. (SELX) dropped 19% to $0.66 after announcing it received a Nasdaq delisting notification.

Commodities

Oil slipped 0.8% to $56.95 per barrel, while precious metals caught a bid. Gold advanced 0.9% to $4,380.20, and silver surged 3.9% to $73.350. Copper edged up 0.5% to $5.7105.

Global Markets

European equities traded higher across the board. The eurozone's STOXX 600 gained 0.6%, Spain's IBEX 35 rose 0.8%, London's FTSE 100 added 0.4%, Germany's DAX climbed 0.4%, and France's CAC 40 advanced 0.5%.

Asian markets closed in the green, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index surging 2.76% and India's BSE Sensex gaining 0.67%.

Economic Data

Investors are awaiting the release of the S&P Global Manufacturing PMI, scheduled for later today.