By Liz Moyer
Investing.com -- Stocks opened mixed on Friday as investors took in data showing retail sales slowed more than expected in July.
The Dow Jones Industrial Averageand S&P 500 dipped at the opening of trading in the U.S., while the NASDAQ Compositewas flat. The S&P has been headed toward a new record in recent sessions, which if achieved would be the fastest recovery from a 30% drop earlier this year after businesses shut down to stop the spread of Covid-19.
On Friday, new data showed domestic retail sales growth slowed more than expected in July, adding to worries about a wobbly post-pandemic economic recovery in the absence of a new U.S. fiscal stimulus bill.
Aggressive stimulus measures have helped Wall Street's main indexes bounce from a coronavirus-driven crash in March, and the S&P 500 briefly traded above its Feb. 19 record close for a second straight day on Thursday.
But the benchmark index has struggled to top its all-time high of 3,393.52, which was also hit on Feb. 19.
-- Reuters contributed to this report