U.S. stocks traded modestly lower on August 15, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 72.22 points at 53,767.77, the Nasdaq Composite off 41.59 points at 26,761.44, and the S&P 500 lower by 8.91 points at 7,790.08 as of 10 a.m. ET. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) also fell 30.77 points to 12,425.23. The pullback followed a stronger prior session and was characterized as profit-taking, leaving the market without clear direction. Market breadth pointed to a slight edge for sellers, though activity on the broader Nasdaq was nearly balanced. At the same time, longer-dated U.S. Treasury yields moved higher, with the 10-year yield at 4.67% and the 30-year at 5.25%, a backdrop some analysts say is pressuring equities. In currency markets, the dollar weakened against the yen and the dollar index slipped, while the euro strengthened against the U.S. currency. Commodities were firmer, with WTI crude rebounding to $81.67 a barrel and gold futures rising to $4,437.40 per troy ounce. Investors remained cautious as they looked for more clarity on U.S. inflation and monetary policy, with upcoming economic data and remarks from Federal Reserve (U.S. central bank) officials seen as the next potential catalysts.