US markets end mostly in red on Tuesday

29 Dec 2021 Evaluate

The US markets ended mostly lower on Tuesday as traders seemed somewhat reluctant to continue making significant moves following the recent strength in the markets. A lack of major US economic data also kept some traders on the sidelines ahead of the release of reports on weekly jobless claims, pending home sales and Chicago-area business activity in the coming days. However, downside remained capped as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shortened the recommended isolation time for asymptomatic people with Covid-19 to 5 days from 10 days. The CDC said the change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of Covid transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.

A new study from South Africa also indicated that those infected with the Omicron variant have increased immune protection against the Delta strain. On the sectoral front, Most of the major sectors ended the day showing only modest moves, contributing to the lackluster performance by the broader markets.  Semiconductor stocks gave back some ground, however, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index falling by 1.2 percent after reaching a record intraday high in early trading. Tobacco, biotechnology and steel stocks also moved to the downside, while some strength was visible among utilities and airline stocks.

Nasdaq fell 89.54 points or 0.56 percent to 15,781.72 and S&P 500 was down by 4.84 points or 0.1 percent to 4,786.35, while Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 95.83 points or 0.26 percent to 36,398.21.

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