US markets traded mixed on Thursday as investors weighed a raft of second-quarter corporate earnings while looking ahead to possible trade deals from President Donald Trump before the August 1 tariff deadline.The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.3% to 21,081.49 in early trade, led by a nearly 3% rise in Google-parent Alphabet. The company posted a better-than-expected $28.2 billion quarterly profit, citing strong demand for AI services, AFP reported.However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.5% to 44,779.70 as Tesla dragged the index lower. Shares of the EV maker tumbled around 8% after CEO Elon Musk flagged a “rough patch” for earnings ahead. Chipotle Mexican Grill and Dow Chemical also fell sharply, each losing more than 10%.The S&P 500 was up 0.2% at 6,371.86.“There is underlying enthusiasm for more trade deals being struck before the August 1 deadline,” said Patrick O’Hare of Briefing.com, noting improved market sentiment after the US-Japan agreement that capped tariffs at 15%.Meanwhile, the European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged, signalling a wait-and-watch approach on the outcome of eurozone-US trade talks.
