Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (-0.1%), Nasdaq Composite (-0.3%), and DJIA (-0.2%) sit mixed shortly after the open. Though the January CPI report (0.2%; Briefing.com consensus 0.3%) gave equity futures a nice boost, there has not been a great deal of follow-through buying interest

The broader market is mixed after yesterday's retreat and still has a relatively defensive posture this morning, with the health care (+1.2%) and utilities (+1.1%) sectors the early standouts.  Moderna (MRNA 43.62, +3.51, +8.74%) trades sharply higher after a beat-and-raise earnings report. 

Meanwhile, the top weighted information technology sector (-0.4%) has had a choppy start, now trading in negative territory. Applied Materials (AMAT 365.71, +37.32, +11.36%) and Arista Networks (ANET 144.54, +9.42, +6.97%) are sharply higher after earnings, but memory stocks are sharply lower after posting solid gains yesterday. 

The iShares GS Software ETF (IGV) is up 1.4% as software stocks receive some modest buying support. 

Meanwhile, mega-cap stocks are not garnering any buy-the-dip interest, sending the Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF 0.3% lower.