US tech stocks prevent markets from holding at record highs

12:05pm: Tech stocks pushed indexes lower at midday After Monday’s record setting close, markets fell into the red by midday Tuesday weighed down by muted tech sector earnings and Home Depot’s projection miss. By lunch the Dow Jones Industrial Average had shed 337 points (0.95%) and was holding at 35,287; while the S&P 500 was down 38 points sitting at 4,441. More economic data, this time out of the US, paints a picture of a slowing global recovery which is likely to weigh on investor sentiment. As will the developing situation in Afghanistan and rising Delta variant cases in North America and Europe 10.10am: Proactive North America headlines: Vox Royalty (TSX-V:VOX) eyeing catalyst-rich second half as it posts record quarter Elys Game Technology sees triple-digit revenue growth in 2Q, thanks to strong European operations Aequus Pharmaceuticals and reVision Therapeutics in collaboration to develop therapy for Stargardt disease Manganese X says graphite-focused spin-out has been conditionally approved to list on TSXV Empower Clinics' MediSure gets Health Canada Medical Device Establishment Licence to source medical devices globally Naturally Splendid signs definitive agreement with Flexitarian Foods to become exclusive Canadian manufacturer and distributor for an extensive line of plant-based, meat-alternative products Arcadia Biosciences sees five-fold revenue growth in 2Q as it records first consumer brand sales Bragg Gaming takes ORYX Hub content live with Admiral Bet in Serbia, significantly enhancing the operator’s offering Mydecine Innovations finishes 2Q with C$7M in cash after busy research period pinpoints four new lead drug candidates Unigold’s latest drill results demonstrate “high-grade mineralization” at Candelones Vyant Bio (NASDAQ:VYNT) ends 2Q with $26.5M to build a robust pipeline of novel therapeutics targeting neurological disorders and cancers Psyched Wellness (CSE:PSYC, FRA:5U9, OTCQB:PSYCF) submits applications to US Patent and Trademark office for four further provisional patents surrounding its flagship AME-1 product Biocept reports profitability for the first half on back of increased COVID-19 testing The Valens Company (TSX:VLNS, OTCQX:VLNCF) boosts testing capabilities as it eyes international industry market expansion ME2C Environmental (OTCQB:MEEC) poised for more revenue growth in second half as emissions business continues to grow Binovi Technologies provides first response to unsolicited bid for the company by Captiva Verde Wellness 9.55am: Wall Street starts in the red US shares opened lower in New York. coming off recent highs, on the back of weak retail sales data for July. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 250 points to 35,375. The broader-based S&P 500 fell nearly 25 points at 4,454, while the tech laden Nasdaq exchange shed over 95 points at 14,698. Data showed that retail sales fell 1.1% last month, and dropped down 0.4% after excluding autos.  Economists had reportedly expected a 0.3% monthly drop in sales in July, or a 0.2% gain when autos are excluded. Elsewhere, US industrial output was shown to be steady and was up 0.9% in July this year. In company news on Tuesday, DIY giant Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) shares dropped over 4% in early deals as  the retailer reported second-quarter profit and record sales that topped expectations but same-store sales that fell short of Wall Street expectations. The firm said less customers had visited in the fiscal second quarter as pandemic-fueled do-it-yourself projects had  tapered off. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com 7.15am: US shares set to fall US stocks look set to ease further from recently hit all-time highs in early trade on Tuesday as investors await fresh earnings and data on the retail and manufacturing sectors. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were 0.6% lower, while those for the S&P 500 fell 0.5%, and the tech-laden Nasdaq-100 futures shed 0.4%. Investors are awaiting data and earnings that will offer insights into the health of the US retail sector. Retail sales, due at 8.30am ET, are expected to have weakened slightly in July as supply chain bottlenecks impact auto sales. Industrial production data is set to be released at 9.15am ET. Federal Reserve policymakers are moving toward an agreement to start scaling back their easy money policies in about three months if the economic recovery continues. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren said in an interview he expected to see enough job growth by the September meeting to meet the criteria for reducing bond purchases. Some of the biggest US retailers are also reporting earnings this week. Home Depot shares fell ahead of the open after it reported a decline in sales; rivals Lowe’s Cos and Target will report on Wednesday. Six things to watch on Tuesday: BHP Group has agreed to sell its petroleum business to Woodside Petroleum in a merger to create a top 10 independent oil and gas producer worth A$38.5 billion ($28 billion) with growth assets in Australia and the Americas. US auto safety regulators on Monday opened a formal safety probe into Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)'s driver assistance system Autopilot after a series of crashes involving Tesla models and emergency vehicles. General Motors said it will replace all battery modules in some Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles under a recall announced last month. Citgo Petroleum Corp on Monday reported a slim, second-quarter profit, its first in seven quarters, as higher fuel exports helped offset weak margins and the impact of a fuel pipeline shutdown. Videogame company Roblox fell after reporting earnings late Monday that missed Wall Street forecasts. Danish jewellery maker Pandora said on Tuesday that a strong performance in the United States spurred rapid sales growth in the second quarter but sales in China fell.