By Anora M. Gaudiano, MarketWatch , Ryan Vlastelica
Boeing was one of the day's biggest drags
U.S. stocks closed lower Tuesday, with major indexes turning
decisively negative in afternoon trading and ending near their lows
of the day as uncertainty over trade policy and other geopolitical
issues remained high.
Read: Meet 'green gold' -- and the stock for betting on it
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/meet-green-gold-and-the-stock-for-betting-on-it-2018-05-22)
What did markets do?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 178.88 points, or 0.7%, to
24,834.41. The S&P 500 lost 8.57 points, or 0.3%, to 2,724.44.
Among the day's biggest decliners were industrial stocks, a sector
that is heavily correlated with trade concerns. The group lost 1.3%
while the materials sector lost 0.9%.
The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 15.58 points, or 0.2%, to
7,378.46.
The small-cap benchmark Russell 2000 index lost 0.7% points to
1,625.25, ending a four-day rally that took it to a series of
records
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/russell-2000-hits-record-in-early-trading-2018-05-21).
Opinion: Here's what the Russell 2000's new high means for the
S&P 500
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-what-the-russell-2000s-new-high-means-for-the-sp-500-2018-05-22)
Read:The strong dollar is a stock-market drag and poses a threat
to earnings growth
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-strong-dollar-is-a-stock-market-drag-and-poses-a-threat-to-earnings-growth-2018-05-19)
What drove the market?
Trade policy continued to be a primary driver for investors, and
the issue grew clouded on Tuesday. Asked if he was happy with how
U.S.-China trade talks were going
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-today-president-suggests-world--class-poker-player-xi-to-blame-for-shift-in-north-koreas-attitude-about-summit-2018-05-22),
President Donald Trump told reporters, "Not really," and said
negotiations "have a long way to go."
Optimism over trade had spurred a stock rally in Monday's
session, after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the
Trump administration would "put the trade war on hold" while
working out details of a deal between the countries. Trump's
comments seemed to offset Mnuchin's view.
Other geopolitical tensions also continued to hover in the
background, with uncertainty over a historic meeting between Trump
and North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un. Vice President Mike Pence
warned in an interview late Monday that North Korea cannot "play"
Trump
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/north-korea-cannot-play-president-trump-warns-pence-2018-05-22)
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/north-korea-cannot-play-president-trump-warns-pence-2018-05-22)
where nuclear disarmament is concerned. On Tuesday, Trump said a
planned summit with Un may happen later than currently scheduled
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-says-summit-with-north-koreas-kim-may-happen-later-than-scheduled-2018-05-22).
Meanwhile, laying out new demands for Iran on Monday
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pompeo-lays-out-trump-administrations-demands-for-new-iran-deal-2018-05-21),
the White House said any new nuclear deal with the U.S. would
require Iran to stop enriching uranium and to pull its support for
militant groups in the Middle East. The demands were met by
immediate rejection from Iran.
Read:Here's the hidden stock-market risk investors need to watch
out for
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-the-hidden-stock-market-risk-investors-need-to-watch-out-for-2018-05-22)
What were strategists saying?
"For the moment, investors are taking a wait-and-see attitude
with respect to the [trade] negotiations, especially with the other
geopolitical issues weighing on the market," said Jeff Kravetz,
regional investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.
"Issues like the future of the North Korea summit or
negotiations with Iran are things that investors are very concerned
about, though they're more psychological than things that would
have a major economic impact. Our view is that markets will move
higher over the remainder of the year, but it will be a volatile
journey to get there."
What stocks were in focus?
Among notable decliners in the industrial space, Boeing Co.(BA)
lost 2.5% while Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) ended down 1.7%. 3M Co.
(MMM) fell 1.4%. All three were among the biggest decliners on both
the Dow and the S&P.
J.C. Penney Co. (JCP) fell 6% after the company's chief
executive quit to take over leadership
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jc-penney-ceo-quits-to-join-lowes-2018-05-22-134853025)
of Lowe's Cos. (LOW) . Shares of Lowe's fell 1.9%.
Toll Brothers Inc.(TOL) shares slumped 9.6% after the building
company posted a 10% fall in second-quarter profit
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/toll-brothers-profit-dented-by-higher-charges-2018-05-22)
on higher impairment charges, and said gross margin fell.
Kohl's Corp.(KSS) sank 7.4% despite better-than-expected
earnings and an upbeat outlook
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kohls-shares-jump-after-earnings-beat-guidance-raised-2018-05-22).
Shares of Micron Technology Inc.(MU) rallied 6.4% after the
company raised its third-quarter outlook and announced a large
stock-buyback program
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/micron-on-track-for-fresh-record-as-investors-cheer-massive-share-buyback-2018-05-22).
The gain supported chip makers overall; the PHLX Semiconductor
index rose 0.6%.
AutoZone Inc.(AZO) sank 9.5% after the company reported its
first-quarter results
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/autozone-shares-jump-3-premarket-after-profit-blows-past-estimates-2018-05-22).
TJX Companies Inc.(TJX) shares rose 3.3% after the retailer's
quarterly earnings came above estimates
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tjx-cos-shares-jump-15-premarket-as-first-quarter-sales-blow-past-estimates-2018-05-22).
Read:GreenSky IPO: 5 things to know about the company seeking to
end fintech IPO lull
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/greensky-ipo-5-things-to-know-about-the-company-seeking-to-end-fintech-ipo-lull-2018-05-21)
U.S.-listed shares of Sony Corp.(6758.TO), (6758.TO) fell 2.8%
after the Japanese multinational conglomerate said it has agreed to
buy Mubadala Investment Co.'s stake in EMI Music Publishing
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sony-to-buy-mubadalas-stake-in-emi-music-for-about-23-billion-2018-05-21)
in a roughly $2.3 billion deal.
Read:Netflix's new running mates: Barack and Michelle Obama
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/netflixs-new-running-mates-barack-and-michelle-obama-2018-05-21)
What did other markets do?
Asian markets finished mixed
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nikkei-pulls-back-from-3-month-high-as-asian-markets-dip-2018-05-21),
while European stocks inched higher
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/european-stocks-inch-higher-as-italy-tensions-ease-for-now-2018-05-22).
Read:'Greek-like crisis' fears hang over Italy's markets as
populists ready government
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/greek-like-crisis-fears-hang-over-italys-markets-as-populists-ready-government-2018-05-21)
The dollar was continuing to retrace gains on Tuesday, while the
10-year U.S. Treasury note yield
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/treasury-yields-inch-higher-but-italian-rates-pull-back-as-politics-remain-in-focus-2018-05-22)
was hovering around 3.07% after touching a seven-year intraday high
of 3.126% on Friday
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/government-bonds-rally-as-geopolitics-reignite-buying-10-year-retreats-from-310-2018-05-18)
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/government-bonds-rally-as-geopolitics-reignite-buying-10-year-retreats-from-310-2018-05-18)
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/government-bonds-rally-as-geopolitics-reignite-buying-10-year-retreats-from-310-2018-05-18).
See:Stock-market investors have fewer excuses for shunning bonds
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-market-investors-have-fewer-excuses-for-shunning-bonds-2018-05-21)
U.S. oil futures ended modestly lower
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-hover-at-3-12-year-highs-on-global-supply-worries-2018-05-22)
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-hover-at-3-12-year-highs-on-global-supply-worries-2018-05-22).
Read:Here's what an 'oil shock' would mean for the global
economy
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-shock-heres-what-100-crude-would-do-to-the-economy-2018-05-22)
Economic preview:Rising rates, higher gas have failed to kill
the economic expansion
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-economy-charts-steady-course-despite-stronger-headwinds-2018-05-18)
Gold futures inched up 0.1% to $1,292.00 an ounce a day after
settling at its lowest level of 2018
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gold-prices-tick-up-from-worst-levels-of-2018-2018-05-22).
The ICE U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.1% to 93.530, as the pound
strengthened against the buck
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/selling-pressure-stays-on-dollar-as-pound-climbs-on-boe-rate-hike-comments-2018-05-22)
.
Bank of England policy maker Gertjan Vlieghe reportedly
predicted up to two interest-rate increases a year
(https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2018/may/22/bank-of-england-governor-mark-carney-grilling-mps-rates-uk-economy-business-live),
as officials testified in front of the U.K. Treasury committee.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 22, 2018 16:36 ET (20:36 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.