U.S. stocks retreated on Tuesday, pulling back from a recent record-setting rally, as investors balanced concerns over a potential government shutdown against continued optimism for the artificial intelligence sector.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%, while the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively. The minor downturn followed fresh record highs on Monday, which marked the seventh consecutive winning session for both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
This bull run has been largely fueled by excitement surrounding AI, recently supercharged by a multibillion-dollar partnership between AMD and OpenAI. While strategists are raising their targets for the S&P 500, much of the market’s performance will depend on the upcoming earnings season for major tech companies.
However, mounting anxiety over a prolonged U.S. government shutdown is tempering market sentiment. The stoppage has already delayed the September jobs report and threatens to postpone next week’s key inflation data, clouding the economic outlook for both investors and the Federal Reserve. A potential breakthrough emerged as President Trump signaled he was open to negotiating a funding bill with Democrats.
Amid the political and economic uncertainty, investors flocked to safe-haven assets. Gold futures surged past $4,000 per ounce for the first time in history, driven by a weaker dollar and expectations of future interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
In corporate news, Tesla shares pulled back after a 5% gain on Monday, as the company teased a potential new Model Y launch. Meanwhile, shares of Trilogy Metals skyrocketed after the White House announced the U.S. government would take a 10% stake in the Canadian mining company to secure access to mineral deposits in Alaska.
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