Dow Dips Over 100 Points; US Initial Jobless Claims Increase

BY Benzinga | ECONOMIC | 08/21/25 11:11 AM EDT

U.S. stocks traded lower this morning, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 100 points on Thursday.

Following the market opening Thursday, the Dow traded down 0.31% to 44,798.24 while the NASDAQ fell 0.20% to 21,131.47. The S&P 500 also fell, dropping, 0.25% to 6,379.53.

Check This Out: How To Earn $500 A Month From Intuit Stock Ahead Of Q4 Earnings

Leading and Lagging Sectors

Health care shares jumped by 0.2% on Thursday.

In trading on Thursday, consumer staples stocks fell by 1.2%.

Top Headline

U.S. initial jobless rose by 11,000 from the previous week to 235,000 in the second week of August, compared to market estimates of 225,000.

Equities Trading UP
           

  • Aptorum Group Limited (APM) shares shot up 180% to $3.5601 after the company announced that New York State’s Department of Health has approved the DiamiR APOE genotyping test.
  • Shares of Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc. (PTIX) got a boost, surging 109% to $4.78 after the company announced it has completed the first dose injections in its Phase 1 multiple-dose study of PT00114.
  • Aethlon Medical, Inc. (AEMD) shares were also up, gaining 43% to $1.5911. Aethlon Medical (AEMD) filed for offering of common stock and accompanying warrants.

Equities Trading DOWN

  • ModivCare Inc. (MODV) shares dropped 59% to $0.7550. Modivcare (MODV) filed voluntary Chapter 11 to implement restructuring support agreement backed by more than 90% of first lien lenders and 70% of second lien lender.
  • Shares of Real Messenger Corporation (RMSG) were down 55% to $2.3450.
  • Star Fashion Culture Holdings Limited (STFS) was down, falling 54% to $0.2002 after dipping 79% on Wednesday.

Commodities

In commodity news, oil traded down 0.3% to $63.02 while gold traded down 0.1% at $3,387.00.

Silver traded up 0.9% to $ 38.095 on Thursday, while copper fell 0.1% to $4.4345.

Euro zone

European shares were mixed today. The eurozone's STOXX 600 slipped 0.1%, while Spain's IBEX 35 Index rose 0.1%. London's FTSE 100 rose 0.2%, Germany's DAX 40 gained 0.1% and France's CAC 40 fell 0.5% during the session.

Asia Pacific Markets

Asian markets closed mixed on Thursday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 0.65%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng falling 0.24%, China's Shanghai Composite gaining 0.13% and India's BSE Sensex gaining 0.17%.

Economics

  • U.S. initial jobless rose by 11,000 from the previous week to 235,000 in the second week of August, compared to market estimates of 225,000.
  • U.S. existing home sales climbed by 2% from the previous month to an annualized rate of 4.01 million in July.
  • The S&P Global services PMI fell to 55.4 in August from 55.7 in the previous month.
  • The S&P Global manufacturing PMI climbed to 53.3 in August versus 49.8 in July.
  • The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index fell to -0.3 in August compared to 15.9 in the previous month.

Now Read This:

  • Top 2 Industrials Stocks That May Keep You Up At Night In Q3

Photo via Shutterstock

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

fir_news_article