Wall Street ends mostly lower as oil tumbles

US stock indices opened the first session of the week mixed, with energy stocks leading the decline as oil prices tumbled, overcoming gains in the finance sector, led by Bank of America, as the second-quarter earnings season for major American banks and corporations carries on. 

US Data 

Earlier US data showed retail sales rose 0.5%, slowing down from 1.3% in May, and beating estimates of 0.4%, while core sales rose 0.4% as expected, also slowing down from 1.4% in May. 

The Empire State Manufacturing Index slipped to 22.6 from 25.0 in June, beating expectations of 20.3, while wholesale inventories rose 0.4% as expected, adding to a 0.3% increase in April. 

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will start testifying Tuesday on the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report before the Senate Banking Committee, in Washington DC, with investors looking for clues on future monetary policies and plans for interest rates. 

Indices, Commodities 

Dow Jones rose 0.18%, or 44.95 points to 25,064.36, while Standard and Poor's 500 added 0.10%, or 2.88 points to 2,798.43. NASDAQ Composite slipped 0.26%, or 20.26 points to 7,805.72. 

Gold futures due on August 15 barely inched up to $1,241.30 an ounce from the opening of $1,241.20, while the dollar index dipped 0.20% to 94.49 from the opening of 94.83, moving off two-week highs. 

US crude futures due on August 15 slumped to $68.02 a barrel from the opening of $71.01, marking June 22 lows, while Brent futures due on September 15 tumbled 4.45% to $71.98 a barrel from the opening of $75.33, touching April 17 lows.