Wall Street ends mostly lower

US stock indices closed mixed but near record highs, as both Dow Jones and S&P 500 gave up ground, while NASDAQ edged up, after Republicans released their new healthcare bill that aims to replace the current program widely known as Obamacare, while crude prices rose for the first time in four session on profit-taking. 

Earlier US data showed unemployment claims rising in line with expectations, while the house price index rose 0.7%, the same as before in April, as the CB leading index accelerated below forecasts in May. 

Similarly, Federal Open Market Committee member Jerome Powell has testified in front of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, in Washington DC, regarding the economic growth rate for the world's biggest economy, as markets price in the future of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.

Dow Jones shed 0.06%, or 12.74 points to 21,397.29, while Standard and Poor's 500 declined 0.05%, or 1.11 points to 2,434.50. NASDAQ Composite advanced 0.04%, or 2.73 points to 6,236.69. 

Gold futures due on August 16 rose 0.40% to $1,250.80 an ounce from the opening of $1,245.80, while the dollar index barely inched down to 97.55 from the opening of 97.56. 

US crude futures due on August 16 rose 0.47% to $42.73 a barrel from the opening of $42.53, while Brent crude futures due on August 16 jumped 0.87% to $45.21 a barrel from the opening of $44.82.