NEW YORK, New York –  U.S. stocks struggled on Tuesday amidst a sea of uncertainty. The market was led lower by a sharp sell-off in Oracle and Tesla.

The U.S. dollar consolidated recent gains while the price of gold topped $4,000 for the first time ever. “A breakout above the channel would be a bullish sign for a continuation of the accelerating uptrend,” Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial told CNBC Tuesday.

“However, a failure here would suggest gold’s melt-up could be due for a pause or pullback,” he added.

Wall Street closed in negative territory on Tuesday, with technology stocks bearing the brunt of the selling pressure, leading the Nasdaq to a sharp decline.

The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC) was the session’s standout loser, tumbling 153.30 points, or 0.67 percent, to settle at 22,788.36. The sell-off reflected investor jitters around high-growth sectors amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

The broader Standard and Poor’s 500 (^GSPC), a key benchmark for the U.S. market, also finished lower, declining 25.69 points. This represented a loss of 0.38 percent, closing the day at 6,714.59.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI)demonstrated relative resilience but still ended the day in the red. The blue-chip index fell 91.99 points, a dip of 0.20 percent, finishing at 46,602.98.

The day’s trading was characterized by a cautious mood, with investors weighing strong corporate earnings against persistent concerns about inflation and the future path of interest rates. The pronounced weakness in the tech sector suggests a shift towards more defensive positioning among market participants. All eyes will be on upcoming economic data and Federal Reserve commentary for signals on the health of the economy.

U.S. Dollar Flexes Muscle Against Major Rivals on Tuesday

The U.S.  dollar put on a broad display of strength in Tuesday’s trading session, climbing against most major currencies as market sentiment favored the greenback.

The dollar’s most significant gains came against the Japanese yen, with the USD/JPYpair surging 1.03 percent to breach the 151.89 level. This notable move will put traders on high alert for potential intervention from Japanese monetary authorities to slow the yen’s decline.

The dollar also posted solid gains against the Swiss franc, with USD/CHFrising 0.52 percent to 0.7987. The US Dollar/Canadian Dollar (USDCAD)pair edged higher as well, adding 0.09 percent to trade at 1.3953.

On the other side of the trade, the euro and British pound found themselves under pressure. The Euro/US Dollar (EURUSD)pair fell 0.50 percent to 1.1650, while the British Pound/US Dollar (GBPUSD)dropped 0.48 percent to 1.3420.

The commodity-linked Australian and New Zealand dollars were among the session’s biggest losers. The Australian Dollar/US Dollar (AUDUSD)fell 0.56 percent to 0.6580, and the New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar (NZDUSD)tumbled 0.77 percent to 0.5796.

The session’s price action pointed to a strong risk-off tone in the market, with investors flocking to the safety of the US dollar. Analysts cited renewed concerns over global economic growth and shifting interest rate expectations as the key drivers behind the dollar’s broad-based rally. The market’s focus now turns to upcoming economic data releases for further clues on the pace of future monetary policy.

Global Markets Show Mixed Performance as Asia-Pacific Outshines UK and Europe

Global stock indices delivered a mixed bag of performances on Tuesday, with major European benchmarks largely treading water while several Asia-Pacific markets posted strong gains.

Canada’s main stock index mirrored the downward trend. The S&P/TSX Composite (^GSPTSE) fell 180.16 points, or 0.59 percent, to close at 30,351.72.

In the UK and Europe, the trading session was characterized by narrow movements. The UK’s FTSE 100 (^FTSE) eked out a minor gain of 4.44 points to finish at 9,483.58, a rise of 0.05 percent.

Germany’s DAX (^GDAXI) followed a similar path, adding 7.49 points to close at 24,385.78, up 0.03 percent.

In France the CAC 40 (^FCHI) was also marginally higher, gaining 0.04 percent to settle at 7,974.85.

However, the broader European picture was less optimistic. The pan-European EURO STOXX 50 (^STOXX50E) fell 15.10 points, or 0.27 percent, closing at 5,613.62. The Euronext 100 (^N100) dipped 0.15 percent to 1,685.39. Belgium’s BEL 20 (^BFX) was virtually unchanged, finishing at 4,912.33 with a negligible gain of 0.00 percent.

The standout performances came from the Asia-Pacific region. South Korea’s KOSPI (^KS11) surged 2.70 percent, while Taiwan’s TWII index jumped 1.68 percent. Singapore’s STI(^STI) also had a strong day, climbing 1.14 percent. Other notable gainers in the region included the SSE Composite Index (000001.SS) in China, up 0.52 percent, and India’s S&P BSE SENSEX (^BSESN), which rose 0.17 percent to a fresh record. Japan’s Nikkei 225(^N225) was flat, inching up a mere 0.01 percent.

 Egypt’s EGX 30 (^CASE30), which was virtually unchanged with a gain of 0.01 percent.

Investors are now turning their attention to upcoming economic data and central bank commentary for further direction on the health of the global economy.

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