The S&P 500 closed at 7,659.44, down 84.62 points, a decline of 1.09 percent. Breadth was roughly split, with 242 of the index's 487 members higher on the day, so the index-level loss came from where the money sits rather than from a broad retreat. Concentration ran at 30 percent, and the gap between the cap-weighted and equal-weighted results, down 0.38 percent, shows the index's largest names did more of the damage than the average stock.
The five biggest drags were all technology and communications names: Microsoft took 8.72 points off the index, Broadcom 8.61, Nvidia 8.44, Meta 6.96, and Micron 6.95. On the other side, Apple added 2.35 points, Exxon Mobil 1.91, Berkshire Hathaway 1.29, JPMorgan Chase 1.22, and Chevron 1.21. None of these were enough to offset the top of the list.
The Dow
The Dow closed at 52,002.00, down 175.69 points, a decline of 0.34 percent, a softer landing than the S&P 500's. Breadth was weak, with only 14 of the 30 members higher, and concentration measured 98 percent, meaning a handful of stocks explain almost the entire move. The equal-weighted Dow fell just 0.12 percent, underscoring how narrow the day's damage was within the index.
Microsoft again led the drags, taking 61.75 points off the average, followed by Goldman Sachs at 59.55, Alphabet at 51.29, Salesforce at 35.90, and UnitedHealth at 31.14. Energy and financials pushed the other way: Chevron added 33.70 points, Travelers 33.58, JPMorgan Chase 24.90, Visa 17.00, and Johnson & Johnson 13.55. That combination is the Dow's divergence from the S&P 500 story: the same mega-cap technology names did the hurting, but Chevron, Travelers and JPMorgan Chase carried enough weight in this index to blunt the decline in a way they could not for the broader market.
The Nasdaq 100
The Nasdaq 100 closed at 29,187.55, down 748.04 points, a decline of 2.50 percent, by far the hardest hit of the three indexes. Breadth was thin, with only 32 of 99 members higher, and the equal-weighted result fell 2.12 percent, nearly matching the headline number. That tells a different story than the S&P 500 or Dow: this was not a handful of giants pulling down a resilient index, it was broad selling across the index's technology and communications members.
Alphabet's two share classes together subtracted 154.88 points from the index, with GOOGL down 80.37 and GOOG down 74.51. Microsoft took off another 58.75 points, Nvidia 56.89, and Broadcom 56.64. Apple was the clearest offset, adding 16.23 points, with Walmart, Costco, PepsiCo and Linde each contributing smaller gains. None of that came close to balancing the index's top losses.
The sectors
Eleven sectors split cleanly along defensive and growth lines. Energy led at 2.52 percent, followed by Utilities at 1.37 percent and Consumer Staples at 1.10 percent. Technology was the weakest sector by a wide margin at negative 3.03 percent, with Communication Services close behind at negative 1.91 percent and Consumer Discretionary down 0.85 percent.
Energy's gain of 2.52 percent, or 1.68 points, was led by Exxon Mobil, which contributed 0.39 points on a 2.46 percent return.
Technology's loss of 3.03 percent, or 5.74 points, was led lower by Advanced Micro Devices, which subtracted 0.55 points on a decline of 5.95 percent.
Measured against the past year of sessions, today's moves sit toward the softer end of the range: the S&P 500's decline ranks in the 9th percentile, the Dow's in the 30th percentile, and the Nasdaq 100's in the 1st percentile.
The numbers
- The S&P 500 closed at 7,659.44, down 84.62 points, a decline of 1.09 percent, with 242 of 487 members higher.
- The Dow closed at 52,002.00, down 175.69 points, a decline of 0.34 percent, with 14 of 30 members higher and concentration at 98 percent.
- The Nasdaq 100 closed at 29,187.55, down 748.04 points, a decline of 2.50 percent, with only 32 of 99 members higher.
- Microsoft was the S&P 500's single biggest drag, removing 8.72 points on a 1.93 percent decline.
- Apple was the S&P 500's biggest offsetting gain, adding 2.35 points on a 0.43 percent rise.
- Alphabet's two share classes together subtracted 154.88 points from the Nasdaq 100.
- Energy was the day's strongest sector, up 2.52 percent, led by Exxon Mobil's 2.46 percent gain.
- Technology was the day's weakest sector, down 3.03 percent, led lower by AMD's 5.95 percent decline.
- The S&P 500's move ranks in the 9th percentile and the Nasdaq 100's in the 1st percentile of the past year's sessions.
From Babylon Burns
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