Cautious sentiment amid expectations for a U.S.-Ukraine-Russia trilateral summit… Mixed close [New York Stock Briefing]

The three major indices on the New York Stock Exchange fluctuated within a narrow range and ended with mixed results.

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then held talks with key European leaders, discussing ways to end the Ukraine-Russia war. Accordingly, investors showed caution, waiting to see if a trilateral summit between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia would materialize following these discussions.

On the 18th (local time) at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 44,911.82, down 34.3 points (0.08%) from the previous session. The S&P 500 Index ended at 6,449.15, down 0.65 points (0.01%), while the NASDAQ Composite Index closed at 21,629.77, up 6.80 points (0.03%).

Trump and Zelenskyy held a summit at the White House that day. After the meeting, Trump said, “Sensitive issues such as territorial matters will be discussed at the trilateral summit,” noting that possible territorial exchanges and measures to guarantee Ukraine’s security would also be on the agenda.

Trump stated, “We will attempt the trilateral talks as quickly as possible,” expressing hope that Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin could reach an agreement.

In a subsequent summit with Trump and major European leaders, there was consensus that Ukraine and Russia should first agree to a ceasefire, and security guarantees for Ukraine were also discussed.

Since Zelenskyy has expressed hope for a trilateral summit, there is a possibility that such talks could take place depending on Putin’s decision.

Meanwhile, this week’s earnings reports from major retailers like Walmart and Target are on the schedule. As these companies are directly affected by tariffs, their results may provide insight into how tariff uncertainty is impacting the real economy.

Among major tech firms with a market capitalization exceeding $1 trillion, Meta fell more than 2% on news of another restructuring in its artificial intelligence (AI) division, weakening investor sentiment.

On the other hand, NVIDIA rallied, pushing its market cap close to $4.5 trillion.

Semiconductor company Intel saw its stock drop 3.66% on speculation that the U.S. government could acquire a 10% stake. According to major foreign media, the U.S. federal government is considering using some or all of the subsidies allocated to Intel under the CHIPS and Science Act to acquire Intel shares.

Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk rose over 3% on news that its obesity drug Wegovy received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as a treatment for metabolically associated steatohepatitis.

Min-Kyung Shin, Hankyung.com Reporter radio@hankyung.com