US stocks retreated on Tuesday as investors cautiously weighed rate-cut odds ahead of crucial jobs data and eyed what higher chances of a Donald Trump win could mean for markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) slipped 0.1% while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell nearly 0.2%. The tech-filled Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) slid more than 0.3%.
Stocks are faltering as the market plays safe in a trading week dominated by Friday’s crucial June jobs report and shortened for the July 4 holiday. Doubts are creeping in that stocks can carry their first-half rally into the end of the year, putting investors on watch for signs of economic strength that could sap momentum.
Jerome Powell is due to speak at an ECB meeting on Tuesday, and investors will listen closely for the Federal Reserve chair’s view of progress on inflation and the state of the labor market. Also on deck is a reading on weekly job openings, which will similarly feed into expectations for interest-rate cuts.
Meanwhile, political risk is preying on minds, as Wall Street assesses what a Trump election win could mean for markets as speculation grows that Biden’s future as the Democratic Party’s standard bearer. The 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) nudged lower to 4.43% on Tuesday after one of its largest single day gains of the year on Monday.
On the corporate front, Tesla (TSLA) delivered more vehicles than expected in the second quarter, sending shares up about 5% in early trading.
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