US stocks traded mixed on Tuesday as Home Depot (HD) led out this week's results from retail giants, as Wall Street weighs the odds of interest rate cuts.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) edged up 0.1%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell about 0.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) declined 0.4%, continuing a muted start to the week for the major gauges.

A steady march of earnings reports from retail giants began with Home Depot (HD) results before the bell. Its profit slightly fell short of expectations in the second quarter, but sales ticked higher amid signs of an end to the US housing market slump. The home improvement chain's shares slipped after the release, but recovered some ground as investors parsed the results.

Target (TGT) will share its earnings on Wednesday, followed by Walmart (WMT) on Thursday. Taken together, the group's results will provide insight into how companies and consumers are faring as Trump's tariffs kick in. Areas of growth or stagnation are also in high focus, as shifts in buying choices can reflect shoppers' financial confidence.

Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs

In the tech world, Intel (INTC) stock got a boost after SoftBank said it will take a $2 billion stake in the struggling chipmaker. That news followed shortly after a Bloomberg report that the Trump administration is looking to take a 10% stake in the company.

This week, investors are counting down to Friday, when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will deliver remarks at the Jackson Hole symposium in Wyoming. The event often signals the latest in central bank policymakers' views on interest rates, and Powell's speech could be his last as Fed chair.

Clues as to what may come next at the Fed's September policy meeting will be in focus as stubborn inflation and a faltering job market make officials' next move a particularly tricky one.

Meanwhile, President Trump continued to press for further Ukraine talks, reportedly asking Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky. European leaders rallied around the Ukrainian president at his meeting with Trump on Monday, but markets hit pause as uncertainty loomed over his country's fate.

US stocks were mixed on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) edged up 0.1%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell about 0.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) declined 0.4%, continuing Wall Street stocks' muted start to the week.

Home Depot (HD) led out this week's results from retail giants, with its earnings report Tuesday showing a return to consistent same-store sales growth in the US amid signs that the housing market could begin to recover.

In the tech world, Intel (INTC) shares jumped after SoftBank said it's taking a $2 billion stake and the Trump administration reportedly weighed taking its own stake worth up to 10% of the troubled chipmaker.

Wall Street is looking ahead to to Fed chair Jerome Powell's highly anticipated speech in Jackson Hole on Friday signaling the central bank's latest views on interest rates,

Yahoo Finance's Daniel Howley reports:

Intel (INTC) stock climbed more than 5% in premarket trading Tuesday following the announcement that SoftBank Group (SFTBY) will take a $2 billion stake in the ailing chip giant.

It's been a roller coaster few days for Intel. Last week, Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration was interested in taking its own stake in the company, sending shares higher into Friday. But on Monday, shares fell on reports that the government would buy up as much as 10% of Intel, closing out the trading day down 3.6%.

Shares of Intel are up 18% year to date and 13% over the last 12 months.

The SoftBank Group news comes as Intel continues to navigate its rocky turnaround plan that began under previous CEO Pat Gelsinger. Current CEO Lip-Bu Tan has scaled back Gelsinger's original vision, canceling construction of international plants and further delaying Intel's $20 billion Ohio chip complex.

Read more here.

Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) stock tumbled 35% in premarket trading after a phase 2 trial of its weight-loss pill showed a high patient dropout rate.

The GLP-1 obesity treatment showed some promising results: Patients lost 12.2% of body weight after 13 weeks. However, 28% of patients dropped out of the trial before it was completed.

Viking's oral obesity drug, VK2735, aims to compete with Eli Lilly's drug, orforglipron, which saw a 12% weight-loss rate after 72 weeks. Eli Lilly shares rose 1.5% in premarket trading.

\\"Data look inferior to LLY on almost all metrics and the thing to consider here is that patients discontinued at such a high rate over 13-weeks vs. LLY in the mid 20% range — but over 72-weeks,\\" Mizuho analyst Jared Holz wrote in a note. \\"A much longer trial, and [therefore] LLY looks far better head-to-head.\\"

US stock futures were muted after the S&P reiterated its credit rating for the US. The 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) and 30-year yield (^TYX) fell by about 2 basis points to 4.32% and 4.92%, respectively.

Bloomberg reports:

S&P Global Ratings said revenues from Donald Trump’s tariffs will help soften the blow to the US’s fiscal health from the president’s tax cuts, enabling it to maintain its current credit grade.

While Trump’s trade war has roiled markets, unnerved foreign governments and provoked criticism from leading economists, S&P affirmed its AA+ rating for the US — a score it’s given since 2011, when it first downgraded the world’s largest economy from AAA.

This is in part because it reckons money flowing from the levies will offset the impact on the US’s budget position from the recent tax and spending bill. It kept the outlook for the long-term rating stable.

Read more here.

American shoppers have kept the engine of the nation's GDP humming along. But it's worth pinpointing where all that resilience is coming from, as Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban lays out in today's Morning Brief.

Despite the Federal Reserve restricting the economy; a new, protectionist trade regime; and seemingly never-ending uncertainty, the American consumer is still powering through it.

At several key moments over the past year, as sentiment flagged and talk of a coming slowdown grew louder, spending data acted like a jolt of energy, a slap in the face of pessimistic readings of the economic outlook.

But viewing the resilience of the American consumer through the lens of a K-shaped economy, observing the sharp divergence between top earners and the rest of the population, helps explain why those things can be happening at the same time.

Retail giants Home Depot (HD), Lowe's (LOW), Target (TGT), and Walmart (WMT) are reporting earnings and outlooks this week, helping shed light on the impacts of tariffs and how households are coping with pricing pressures. ...

Even when spending in aggregate increases, drilling down into who and where the boosts are coming from and going to can be revealing.

Read more here.

Shares of medical device maker Medtronic (MDT) fell 3% premarket after the company announced it would add two new independent directors to its board.

Veteran med-tech executives John Groetelaars and Bill Jellison were appointed, the company said. The change comes as activist investor Elliott Investment Management has become one of its largest shareholders.

Additionally, the board formed two new committees, helmed by CEO Geoff Martha. The Growth Committee will evaluate M&A opportunities, R&D investments, and potential divestitures. The Operating Committee will focus on margin expansion and operational efficiency.

Home Depot (HD) released its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday. The retailer's stock fell about 2% premarket before recovering.

Yahoo Finance's senior reporter Brooke DiPalma looks at the latest from the home improvement retailer and how the US housing slump has impacted its bottom line.

The retail giant marked a return to consistent same-store sales growth in the US, amid signs that a prolonged slump in the US housing market is starting to thaw.

Revenue ticked in at $45.3 billion, versus the $45.41 billion expected per Reuters. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $4.68, four cents less than the expected $4.72.

For the second time this year, Home Depot reiterated its annual forecast, saying it expected net sales to grow by 2.8% and same-store sales to increase by 1% for the full fiscal year.

Read more here.

The stock market’s record rally is showing early signs of broadening beyond Big Tech as investors rotate into lagging sectors, but strategists warn its durability hinges on earnings and Fed policy.

Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports:

The stock market's rally to record highs has started to suggest some investors see life outside of the Big Tech names that have defined markets since 2023, as lagging sectors like Health Care (XLV) and Homebuilders (XHB) — as well as out-of-favor investments like small- and mid-cap stocks — have played a larger role in this summer's move.

And some strategists see this rotation as an early sign that an even healthier market dynamic could be emerging.

Scott Chronert, managing director of US equity strategy at Citi, sees this broader participation as framing out \\"two parallel paths\\" for the S&P 500 — one led by the AI-fueled growth giants and the other driven by more traditional sectors tied to the economy. ...

\\"The healthiest path to higher index levels is a combination of Growth/Tech leadership persisting but with other areas of the market additive more so than has been the case this past year.\\"

Read more here.

Here's a look at some of the top stocks trending in premarket trading:

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) shares rose 5% in premarket trading on Tuesday after the Santa Clara cybersecurity firm forecast fiscal 2026 revenue and profit above analysts' estimates, citing growing demand for its AI powered cybersecurity solutions.

Digital banking group Nu holdings (NU) stock rose 2% before the bell after Morgan Stanley (MS) analyst Jorge Kuri reiterated a Buy rating on the company and set a price target of $18.00.

Intel (INTC) stock rose premarket more than 6% after Softbank Group (9984.T) announced a $2 billion capital injection into the US chipmaker that is currently in the middle of a turnaround effort.

Economic data: Housing starts (July); Building permits (July)

Earnings: Home Depot (HD), XPeng (XPEV), Medtronic (MDT), Amer Sports (AS), Toll Brothers (TOL), La-Z-Boy (LZB)

Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning:

Signs of a healthier path to new records emerge for stocks

Nvidia is working on an H20-beating AI chip for China

Trump tariffs get S&P seal of approval

Why stocks are looking ripe for a regime shift

Intel gets a $2 billion lifeline from SoftBank

Trump pushes Putin-Zelensky meeting after talks with both

Home Depot to report earnings as Wall Street eyes US sales growth

Why Google just boosted its stake in a bitcoin miner

With chatter today that the government is nearing taking a 10% stake in Intel, I guess I shouldn't be shocked that the bruised tech giant is hoping to gain some Street cred on its future product roadmap by tapping SoftBank and Masa for cash. Embattled Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan also gains a Trump friend in Masa.

SoftBank will invest $2 billion in Intel at $23 a share.

“Semiconductors are the foundation of every industry. For more than 50 years, Intel has been a trusted leader in innovation. This strategic investment reflects our belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States, with Intel playing a critical role,\\" SoftBank chair and CEO Masayoshi Son said in a statement.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan added, \\"We are very pleased to deepen our relationship with SoftBank, a company that’s at the forefront of so many areas of emerging technology and innovation and shares our commitment to advancing U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership. Masa and I have worked closely together for decades, and I appreciate the confidence he has placed in Intel with this investment.”

It's still something to see this unfolding at Intel, which has billions in cash and is by no means in a financial death spiral. Given Masa's close ties to the Trump administration, I suspect the government stake announcement could come next. None of this is a good signal on Intel's turnaround, bottom line.

A Trump administration spokesperson didn't return my request for comment.