On Friday, July 26th, U.S. stock markets closed higher as investors returned to tech megacaps, and inflation data fueled hopes for Fed rate cuts. Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended the week lower for the second consecutive week. The Dow Jones closed positively, aided by 3M’s 23% surge after raising its annual profit forecast. In economic data, the headline Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index fell to 2.5% year-on-year in June, as expected, while the core component stayed at 2.6% instead of dropping to 2.5%. S&P 500 sectors ended positively, with industrials, materials, and real estate stocks showing the highest gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.64% and closed at 40,589.34. The S&P 500 gained 1.11%, ending ...