On Wednesday, July 17th, U.S. stock markets closed mixed. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell sharply as microchip stocks plunged 6.8% due to potential U.S. trade restrictions on China, marking the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index’s biggest drop since March 2020. Economic data showed that U.S. industrial production rose 0.6% in June, beating the 0.3% forecast. Housing starts increased 3% to 1.314 million, and building permits climbed 3.4% to 1.446 million annually. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, technology and communication services experienced the largest percentage declines, while consumer staples emerged as the leading gainer. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.59% and closed at 41,198.08. The S&P 500 declined 1.39%, ending the day at 5,588.27, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.76%, ...