US stocks mixed as investors await Iran deal details, Western Digital plunges 18.5%, Sandisk dips 11.3%

US stocks traded on a mixed note on Thursday as investors tracked developments surrounding efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while corporate earnings continued to trigger sharp moves in individual stocks.

At 9:37 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 44.19 points, or 0.08%, to 54,393.31, the S&P 500 gained 5.82 points, or 0.08%, to 7,729.37 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 14.59 points, or 0.05%, to 26,350.26.

At the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 77.7 points, or 0.14%, to 54,426.85. The S&P 500 fell 9.8 points, or 0.13%, to 7,713.79​, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 94.6 points, or 0.36%, to 26,268.843.

Investor attention remained focused on the Middle East after Iranian officials said on Wednesday that Tehran and Oman had agreed on a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. The two sides are now working to finalize arrangements for the joint management of the strategically important maritime passage.

The latest developments pushed oil prices higher after recent declines driven by optimism over a potential US-Iran agreement. Brent crude rose 2.07% to $81.09 per barrel, reflecting renewed concerns over global energy supplies.

Market participants are also awaiting Friday's US nonfarm payrolls report for July, a key economic indicator that could influence expectations for the Federal Reserve's interest rate path.

Key Stock Movers

Data storage maker Western Digital plunged 18.5%, while memory chip manufacturer Sandisk fell 11.3% despite both companies issuing quarterly revenue forecasts that topped Wall Street expectations, supported by robust demand linked to artificial intelligence. The declines followed massive gains of about 200% and 400%, respectively, so far this year.

Marketing technology company AppLovin tumbled 17.4% after reporting quarterly revenue that fell short of analysts' estimates.

Cloud monitoring and cybersecurity firm Datadog dropped 16.7% after warning that revenue growth is expected to moderate during the third quarter.

On the upside, motion and control technologies company Parker-Hannifin climbed 8.5% after projecting full year earnings above market expectations.

Lithium producer Albemarle advanced 6.7% after reporting quarterly profits that exceeded analysts' forecasts.

Among the megacap technology stocks, Microsoft and Amazon each gained around 1%, providing some support to the broader market.

Meanwhile, SpaceX rose 2% ahead of the expiry of the first post-IPO share lock-up period, an event closely watched by investors for its potential impact on the stock's trading activity.

Bullion

Gold prices climbed for a fourth consecutive session on Thursday as investors further reduced expectations of US Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and turned their attention to the upcoming US non-farm payrolls report for fresh policy signals.

By 10:24 a.m EDT (1424 GMT), spot gold rose 0.4% to $4,261.98 per ounce. US gold futures gained 0.4% to $4,322.70.

Among other metals, spot silver fell 0.9% to $61.53 per ounce. Platinum was little changed at $1,734.49, and palladium rose 1.2% to $1,380.33.