Wall Street mostly declines as tech names pull back from highs

The broad-based S&P 500 Index fell 0.6 per cent to 6,411.37, while the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite Index fell 1.5 per cent to 21,314.95. “The consumer makes up two thirds of the economy and retail earnings give you a good sense of the strength of the consumer,” Mr Adam Sarhan, of 50 Park Investments, said. The Aug 19 decline followed a tepid session a day earlier, when stocks ended mostly flat as traders awaited the outcome of high-level talks at the White House on Russia’s war in Ukraine.