Value-hunters with big stakes in a particular component kept one of the main U.S. equity indexes in positive territory.

US stocks were mixed on Friday as Wall Street tempered its rate-cut hopes amid economic data this week that showed higher-than-expected wholesale inflation and a rise in July retail sales. A meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was also in focus as traders looked for clues on how the outcome could steer markets.

Dow Jones futures rose overnight, while S&P 500 futures were flat and Nasdaq futures fell slightly. Applied MaterialsAMAT and SandiskSNDK tumbled Thursday night on guidance.Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed new positions in NucorNUE and Dow giant UnitedHealthUNH,

A vote of confidence by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway delivered the Dow laggard its best day since 2020.

The Dow Jones (DJIA) is less than 1.5% from surpassing its all-time high of 45,073.63 following the release of July’s Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Figures released on Friday showed US retail sales rose 0.5 per cent in July, meeting the Dow Jones forecast. Sales excluding cars rose 0.3 per cent, also matching estimates.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, also known as the “Dow,” shook up its constituents earlier this week. Cloud computing and software provider Salesforce.com CRM replaced oil giant Exxon Mobil XOM.

Investors tend to watch the consumer-price index for insight into how prices are affected by inflation. And when investors are focused on inflation and changes in the Fed's rate policy, the CPI report has the potential to move markets.

With the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) sitting around 40,000, it may seem like a big stretch to expect it to reach 1 million at any point. But it isn't as far-fetched as it seems.

PM Eastern Time, the S&P 500 edged down by 0.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite was mostly unchanged.