Nasdaq Jumps Over 1% to Lead Wall Street Higher; Dow Finishes Flat

U.S. stocks closed mostly higher on Tuesday, with a rally in technology shares pushing the Nasdaq Composite up over 1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the day nearly unchanged.

A Mixed Market Close

The major U.S. indices showed divergent performance at the close of trading. According to data from the New York Stock Exchange, the performance was as follows:

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up a slight 0.03%.
• The broader S&P 500 index gained 0.60%.
• The technology-focused NASDAQ Composite led the gains, climbing 1.18%.

Market breadth was positive, with rising stocks outnumbering decliners on the NYSE by a margin of 1,593 to 1,120. Investor sentiment appeared to improve, as the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), a key measure of market fear, fell by 4.79%.

Boeing Drags on Dow as Tech Rallies

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The session was marked by significant divergence among individual large-cap stocks. Shares of Boeing Co (BA) were the worst performer on both the Dow and S&P 500, plummeting 10.69% to a 52-week low. Other notable decliners included Xylem Inc (XYL), which fell 14.21%, and Valero Energy Corporation (VLO), which dropped 9.24%.

Conversely, gains in the Technology, Basic Materials, and Telecoms sectors provided a lift to the broader market. Within the Dow, Caterpillar Inc (CAT) was the top performer, rising 3.11%, followed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS) with a 2.07% gain. Tech names like Dell Technologies Inc (DELL) also posted strong results, climbing 7.47%.

Other Market Movements

In commodities, energy markets saw modest gains. Crude oil futures for December delivery rose 0.28% to settle near $100.24 a barrel. Gold futures for December delivery were nearly flat, down just 0.03%.

In currency markets, the U.S. Dollar Index Futures ticked up 0.04%, indicating slight strength for the greenback against a basket of major currencies. The dollar also rose 0.29% against the Japanese yen.