U.S. Stocks Flat Amid U.S.-China Trade Talks; Semiconductors Rally

U.S. equities showed minimal movement as investors weighed the resumption of trade discussions between Washington and Beijing. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed nearly unchanged, dipping by a single point, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite edged higher by 5.52 and 61.28 points respectively. Market participants appeared cautious despite Optimism about potential tariff rollbacks.

Semiconductor stocks emerged as clear winners, with Qualcomm surging over 4% following its $2.4 billion acquisition announcement. Peer chipmakers Advanced Micro Devices, Texas Instruments, and Nvidia all gained more than 4%. The sector's outperformance reflects growing confidence in trade-related supply chain improvements.

Chinese tech giant Alibaba climbed 2%, mirroring positive sentiment around bilateral relations. "Investors are taking bullish positions on China large-caps and U.S. semiconductor names—both direct beneficiaries of productive trade negotiations," noted Larry Tentarelli of Blue Chip Daily Trend Report.

Apple bucked the positive trend, declining 1.5% during its developer conference despite unveiling its first major iPhone OS redesign in twelve years. The divergence highlights shifting sectoral dynamics amid evolving trade expectations.