Stocks are doing that weird thing again. You know, where the headlines scream about record highs while your actual portfolio feels like it's stuck in the mud? That was basically the vibe for the stock market today July 24 2025.
It’s a bit of a head-scratcher. We watched the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite nudge their way into fresh all-time closing high territory, but the celebration felt... quiet. If you were looking for a blowout rally, this wasn't it. The S&P 500 managed a tiny 0.1% gain to land at 6,963.74, and the Nasdaq wasn't much better, up 0.2%. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average basically decided to stay in bed, dropping 0.7% to 49,191.99.
Honestly, the "market" right now is really just a few massive tech companies in a trench coat pretending to be an entire economy.
The Tale of Two Earnings: Alphabet vs. Tesla
If you want to understand why things felt so split today, you’ve gotta look at the big tech reports that hit the tape last night.
Alphabet (GOOGL) was the hero nobody expected to be this consistent. They actually saw their stock rise after hours and hold onto those gains because their AI integration into search is finally starting to look like a real business model rather than just a massive R&P expense. Investors are breathing a sigh of relief that Google isn't being "disrupted" into oblivion just yet.
✨ Don't miss: Is US Stock Market Open Tomorrow? What to Know for the MLK Holiday Weekend
Then there’s Tesla (TSLA). Man, it was a rough day for the Elon fans. The stock plunged hard—we're talking a serious "ouch" moment—after their results showed that the EV price wars are absolutely gutting their margins. It turns out you can only cut prices so many times before the math stops working. This "Tesla vs. The World" narrative is getting a lot more expensive for shareholders.
Blackstone and the "Private Wealth" Surge
One of the real standouts today was Blackstone (BX). Their stock jumped about 3.6% after they crushed earnings. They’re now sitting on $1.21 trillion in assets under management. Trillion. With a 'T'.
CEO Stephen Schwarzman was talking up how they're expanding into private wealth and infrastructure. It's a reminder that while we're all obsessing over Nvidia chips, the people moving the massive piles of money around are doing just fine. They even bumped their dividend to $1.03. Not a bad day if you're a BX holder.
The Economic Data: A Mixed Bag of "Meh"
We got a bunch of data at 8:30 AM ET that didn't really give us a clear direction. Initial jobless claims came in at 227,000. That’s slightly higher than the 221,000 we saw previously, but it’s not exactly a "the sky is falling" number. It just shows the labor market is cooling off a bit.
🔗 Read more: Big Lots in Potsdam NY: What Really Happened to Our Store
Then we had the Flash PMI data. The Manufacturing PMI hit 52.7, which is fine—anything over 50 means growth—but it was a slight dip from 52.9. It sort of feels like the economy is jogging on a treadmill. It’s moving, but it’s not really going anywhere fast.
Why UnitedHealth is Giving Everyone a Headache
If you’re wondering why the Dow was the ugly duckling today, look no further than UnitedHealth Group (UNH). The stock got absolutely battered, closing nearly 5% lower.
The DOJ is sniffing around their Medicare Advantage program, and the company confirmed they're complying with "formal criminal and civil requests." That’s never a phrase you want to hear on a Thursday morning. UNH has lost nearly half its value since the start of 2025. It’s officially the worst performer in the Dow over the last year, and it’s dragging the whole index down with it.
The Trump-Powell "Renovation" Drama
In a plot twist that feels more like a Netflix political thriller than a financial report, news broke about an investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
💡 You might also like: Why 425 Market Street San Francisco California 94105 Stays Relevant in a Remote World
Apparently, there’s a probe into the $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed’s headquarters. Critics (and the President) are suggesting the project went over budget because of "shenanigans." Most market veterans see this for what it is: a way to pressure Powell to cut interest rates faster.
The Fed has held rates steady at the 4.25%–4.50% range, but the political heat is turning up to eleven. If you think the stock market is volatile now, just wait until the "fire the Fed Chair" rumors start hitting the wires in earnest.
What You Should Actually Do With This Information
It's easy to get lost in the noise of record highs and DOJ probes. But for the average person trying to keep their 401(k) alive, here’s the "basically" version:
- Don't chase the AI hype blindly. Alphabet proved there's still room for the "old" tech guard to win, but the divergence between winners and losers is getting wider.
- Watch the margins, not just the revenue. Tesla's drop is a warning. If a company is growing sales but losing money on every unit, that's a trap.
- Diversify out of the Dow-heavy names. With UnitedHealth and some of the older industrials struggling, the S&P 500’s broader tech exposure is where the safety has been lately—ironic as that sounds.
- Keep an eye on the 10-year Treasury yield. It’s hovering around 4.15%. If that starts creeping back toward 4.5%, the "new highs" in the S&P will disappear faster than a Tesla on Ludicrous Mode.
The stock market today July 24 2025 taught us that the "everything rally" is officially over. We're in a "some things rally" market now. It's a stock-picker's world again, and honestly, that’s probably a good thing for the long-term health of the system.
Next Steps for Your Portfolio:
Check your exposure to the "Magnificent Seven" stocks. With the divergence between Alphabet and Tesla today, you might find you're more lopsided than you realized. It’s a good time to rebalance some of those tech gains into steady-Eddie performers like Blackstone or even diversified financials that are benefiting from the current rate environment.