H&R Block, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, and More

The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq were little changed at midday Friday heading to the end of a week of gains for the major indexes driven by better-than-expected retail sales and labor market data.

H&R Block (HRB) shares surged, a day after the tax-prep firm reported better-than-expected results for the fiscal fourth quarter, along with a dividend hike, and a $1.5 billion buyback program.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) shares reached a record high as the owner of Madison Square Garden posted a surprise profit on higher revenue from events and sales of food, beverages, and merchandise at sporting events.

Ulta Beauty (ULTA) shares added to yesterday’s rise, after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) revealed a stake in the beauty store chain. Tapestry (TPR) also extended gains after posting better-than-expected results on strong European demand.

Amcor (AMCR) was the worst-performing stock in the S&P 500 as the packaging firm missed revenue estimates and gave weak guidance as volumes for healthcare and North American beverage companies remained soft.

Pfizer (PFE) shares and American depositary receipts (ADRs) of BioNTech (BNTX) dropped following disappointing results from a trial of the drugmakers’ combined COVID-19 and flu vaccine.

Gold futures climbed to a record high. Oil futures fell and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note declined. The U.S. dollar lost ground to the euro, pound, and yen. Most major cryptocurrencies traded in negative territory.

UPDATE—Aug. 16, 2024: This article has been updated to reflect gold futures hit a record high.