US stocks today: S&P 500, Nasdaq close lower amid mixed show by tech stocks ahead of earnings

US markets ended mixed with the S&P 500 falling 0.14 percent to 7,498.48 and the Nasdaq declining 0.56 percent to 25,691.72, while the Dow edged up marginally. Trading was choppy as investors awaited second-quarter earnings from Alphabet and Tesla, the first megacap AI-heavy companies to report, with semiconductor stocks gaining but software stocks weakening. Crude oil futures jumped around 3 percent on geopolitical tensions involving Iran-backed Houthi threats in the Red Sea, fanning fresh inflation worries, though the Federal Reserve is expected to hold rates steady at next week's meeting.