U.S. equity markets finished lower on Tuesday, pressured by declines in Industrials, Technology and Basic Materials. At the close on the New York Stock Exchange the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.22%, the S&P 500 shed 0.69%, and the NASDAQ Composite lost 1.33%.
Major movers on the Dow
Among Dow components, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) was the session's strongest performer, gaining 3.33% to finish at 271.11. Salesforce Inc (CRM) rose 2.71% to 196.14 and Nike Inc (NKE) advanced 2.48% to close at 40.06.
On the downside, Caterpillar Inc (CAT) posted the largest decline within the index, dropping 4.58% to 841.23. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) fell 2.34% to end at 219.74 and Sherwin-Williams Co (SHW) declined 1.35% to 345.26.
S&P 500 standouts
At the S&P 500 level, Targa Resources Inc (TRGP) led gains, rising 7.13% to 297.77. Insulet Corporation (PODD) added 5.96% to settle at 148.03 and Ulta Beauty Inc (ULTA) gained 4.71% to close at 516.58.
Large declines on the S&P 500 included Seagate Technology PLC (STX), down 9.19% to 903.39, Teradyne Inc (TER) which lost 8.77% to settle at 404.29, and Jabil Circuit Inc (JBL) which fell 8.45% to 338.62.
Notable activity on the Nasdaq Composite
The Nasdaq saw extreme percentage moves among smaller-cap names. Profusa Inc (PFSA) surged 506.62% to 27.48, Freecast Inc A (CAST) jumped 143.08% to 2.09, and IP Strategy Holdings Inc (IPST) climbed 113.26% to 15.76.
Conversely, several issues recorded steep declines: Lucas GC Ltd (LGCL) plunged 82.86% to 0.24, Zenta Group Co Ltd (ZTG) lost 40.67% to 1.94, and Reitar Logtech Holdings Ltd (RITR) dropped 33.66% to 0.08.
Market breadth and internals
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by 1,748 to 952, with 104 issues unchanged. On the Nasdaq, 2,046 issues fell while 1,385 advanced and 196 finished unchanged.
Shares in Targa Resources and Johnson & Johnson reached all-time highs during the session, with TRGP up 7.13% to 297.77 and JNJ up 3.33% to 271.11. Lucas GC recorded an all-time low after its 82.86% drop to 0.24.
Volatility, commodities and currencies
The CBOE Volatility Index, which reflects implied volatility on S&P 500 options, rose 4.28% to 15.84.
In commodities, Gold Futures for December delivery slipped 1.83% or 81.95 to trade at 4,391.75 a troy ounce. Crude oil for October delivery rose 0.60% or 0.50 to 84.24 a barrel, and the October Brent contract ticked up 0.24% or 0.22 to 91.09 a barrel.
In currencies, the euro was essentially unchanged versus the dollar, with EUR/USD moving 0.06% to 1.16. USD/JPY rose 0.13% to 159.65, and the US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.04% at 99.58.
This session highlighted diverging performance across market capitalizations and sectors. While select large-cap names rallied and two constituents hit record highs, a broad swath of stocks retreated and a number of smaller issues experienced pronounced volatility.