U.S. stocks closed modestly lower on Aug. 14 after a three-day rally, with the S&P 500 falling 13.23 points, or 0.17%, to 7,785.76 and the Nasdaq Composite losing 73.86 points, or 0.28%, to 26,729.16 as Treasury yields climbed. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose 5 basis points and moved back toward 4.7% after July retail sales initially pulled it lower and University of Michigan inflation expectations revived pressure, while a jump in European government bond yields added to the move. Semiconductor and AI-related stocks were mixed: Broadcom fell 5.94%, Applied Materials dropped 5.12%, Intel lost 1.97%, Nvidia slipped 0.06% and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index eased 0.31%, while SanDisk rose 7.39%, Micron Technology gained 2.3% for a fourth straight advance and SK hynix's U.S. ADR ended up 0.4% at $166.33. With Korean markets shut for the Liberation Day holiday, investors were advised to track Treasury yields, oil prices and technology shares before trading resumes on the 18th, with the minutes of the Federal Reserve's July FOMC meeting due at 3 a.m. Korean time on the 20th.