U.S. stocks in holding pattern, Dow Jones drops 76 points

NEW YORK, New York – U.S. stocks sagged on Tuesday as investors held their breatrh on Wednesday’;s widely anticipated Federal Reserve FOMC meeting decision on interest rates.

The Standard and Poor’s 500 saw a slight dip, falling by 9.93 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 5,623.16. This decline reflected some cautious sentiment among investors amid uncertainty surrounding inflation and interest rate policies.

Similarly, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 75.64 points, also down 0.18 percent, ending the day at 41,546.44. The Dow’s performance was weighed down by losses in key sectors, with trading volumes hitting 345.626 million shares.

On the other hand, the NASDAQ Composite bucked the trend, posting a gain of 35.93 points, or 0.20 percent, to close at 17,628.06. The tech-heavy index benefited from strong performances in the technology sector, pushing it into positive territory with a trading volume of 3.751 billion shares.

Global Stock Markets Roundup for Tuesday

Stock markets around the world saw a mix of gains and losses as key indices closed on Tuesday, with several major markets ending in positive territory while a few experienced declines.

CANADA

In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite Index fell by 24.37 points, or 0.10 percent, closing at 23,677.70. The slight decline came as energy and financial sectors showed weakness, while trading volume for the day was recorded at 116.208 million shares.

UNITED KINGDOM

In London, the FTSE 100 advanced by 31.42 points, closing at 8,309.86, marking a rise of 0.38 percent.

EUROPE

Germany’s DAX PERFORMANCE-INDEX saw a more substantial gain of 92.97 points, or 0.50 percent, finishing the session at 18,726.08.

In France the CAC 40 added 37.98 points, closing at 7,487.42, representing a 0.51 percent increase.

The Euro Stoxx 50 also performed well, rising by 33.15 points to 4,860.78, a gain of 0.69 percent.

The Euronext 100 gained 6.10 points, finishing at 1,472.88, a rise of 0.42 percent.

Belgium’s BEL 20 was the only major European index to decline, dropping 4.96 points, or 0.12 percent, to close at 4,239.66.

ASIA

In Asia, the Hang Seng Index surged by 237.90 points, or 1.37 percent, to end at 17,660.02.

Among other key markets, China’s SSE Composite Index declined by 13.03 points, or 0.48 percent, ending at 2,704.09.

In Japan the Nikkei 225 experienced a notable drop, losing 378.54 points, or 1.03 percent, to close at 36,203.22.

Singapore’s STI Index followed suit, gaining 22.99 points, or 0.64 percent, to close at 3,593.42.

In India the S&P BSE SENSEX posted a modest gain of 90.88 points, or 0.11 percent, closing at 83,079.66.

Indonesia’s IDX Composite rose by 19.65 points to 7,831.78, an increase of 0.25 percent.

In Malaysia the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI recorded a 0.73 percent gain, closing at 1,664.28, up 12.13 points.

In South Korea, the KOSPI Composite Index added 3.32 points, closing at 2,575.41, a rise of 0.13 percent.

Taiwan’s TSEC Weighted Index gained 90.43 points, or 0.42 percent, closing at 21,850.08.

OCEANIA

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 19.30 points to reach 8,140.90, an increase of 0.24 percent, while the Australian All Ordinaries closed at 8,361.20, up 20.10 points, also marking a 0.24 percent gain.

New Zealand’s S&P/NZX 50 struggled, losing 32.44 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 12,671.95.

MIDDLE EAST

Israel’s TA-125 index, declined by 24.96 points, or 1.24 percent, to end at 1,991.60.

Also in the Middle East, Egypt’s EGX 30 index dropped by 101.00 points, closing at 30,159.20, marking a 0.33 percent loss.

AFRICA

In Africa, the Top 40 USD Net TRI Index in South Africa advanced by 61.45 points, or 1.36 percent, closing at 4,581.66.

Currency indices reflected mixed performances Tuesday. The US Dollar Index rose by 0.14 percent to 100.91, while the MSCI Europe Index added 7.17 points, or 0.33 percent, closing at 2,192.15.

The British Pound Currency Index fell by 0.40 percent to 131.65, and the Euro Currency Index declined by 0.11 percent, closing at 111.21.

Japan’s Yen Currency Index dropped by 0.85 percent, ending at 70.49, while the Australian Dollar Currency Index inched up by 0.07 percent, closing at 67.58.