US stock indices open mixed on Friday; Nasdaq Index up 0.12%; S&P 500 Index down 0.04%; Dow Index down 0.11%

US stock indices open mixed on Friday; Nasdaq Index up 0.12%; S&P 500 Index down 0.04%; Dow Index down 0.11%

US stock indices opened with a mixed tone on Friday, September 12, 2025, as investors digested the latest economic data and corporate earnings reports. The Nasdaq Index rose by 0.12% to 21,886 points, marking its second consecutive record high. The S&P 500 Index, however, fell by 0.04% to 6,532 points, while the Dow Jones Index declined by 0.11% to 45,490 points .

The day started with a cautious note as US stock futures opened with slight movements. The Dow Jones futures slipped about 0.17%, the S&P 500 dipped nearly 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures managed a modest gain near 0.07% . The mixed open followed a record-setting streak where the Dow crossed 46,000 for the first time and both the S&P and Nasdaq notched new highs.

The latest inflation numbers, which showed a 2.9% year-on-year increase, and jobless claims climbing to 263,000, the highest since October 2021, did not spook markets but reinforced expectations of an interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve later this year . The PPI inflation print did not significantly influence the Fed's decision, with 90% still believing in a 25 basis points cut and the rest hoping for a 50 basis points cut .

Oracle Corp (ORCL) was the standout performer, jumping 36% after unveiling record cloud demand and a multi-billion-dollar AI-driven contract pipeline. The stock added $244 billion to its market capitalization, testing the $1 trillion mark . However, the stock eased 6% on profit-taking but remained at elevated valuations with a forward P/E near 30 .

The tech sector continued to drive the market, with AI-linked stocks like Nvidia (NVDA) and Adobe (ADBE) showing strong performance. Meanwhile, corporate action such as the takeover chatter around Warner Bros. Discovery and the appointment of a new CEO at Opendoor Technologies added fuel to specific stocks .

Oil prices rose after Israel carried out attacks in Yemen against Houthis, which the latter claims hit civilian targets, including local newspaper offices, leading to 35 deaths and over 130 injuries. A potential shutdown of a large pipeline in California also lent support to prices .

The initial jobless claims report, which will be released later in the evening, will provide further insight into the labor market conditions.