Lola Evans
17 Dec 2025, 02:40 GMT+10
NEW YORK, New York - A disappointing jobs report hit U.S. industrial stocks Tuesday, whiles tech regained momentum after Tesla hit a record high.
"Total nonfarm payroll employment changed little in November (+64,000) and has shown little net change since April," the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a statement Tuesday. In November, the unemployment rate, at 4.6 percent, was little changed from September. Employment rose in health care and construction in November, while federal government continued to lose jobs.
A rally in major technology shares, together with the Tesla spike, propelled the Nasdaq Composite into positive territory, while broader market indices finished in the red amid renewed interest rate concerns.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) defied the negative trend, climbing 54.05 points, or 0.23 percent, to close at 23,111.46. The gain was fueled by strength in several mega-cap technology names, suggesting investor confidence in the sector's earnings resilience.
In contrast, the broader market faced selling pressure. The Standard and Poor's 500 (^GSPC) declined 16.26 points, or 0.24 percent, ending the session at 6,800.25.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) saw the steepest losses, falling 302.30 points, or 0.62 percent, to finish at 48,114.26.
Market analysts attributed the divergence to shifting sentiment ahead of key economic data. Strong performance in specific tech giants provided enough lift to keep the Nasdaq afloat, while concerns that robust economic indicators could delay future interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve prompted a pullback in the more interest-rate-sensitive industrial and financial stocks that dominate the Dow.
"The market is in a tug-of-war between earnings strength and anxiety over the 'higher-for-longer' rate narrative," noted a chief market strategist. "Today, that battle resulted in a narrow rally for tech, but broad-based caution elsewhere."
Trading volumes were active, with over 3 billion shares changing hands on the S&P 500 and approximately 436 million on the Dow. Investors are now looking ahead to upcoming corporate earnings reports and inflation readings for clearer directional signals.
The U.S. dollar traded with a mixed bias in Tuesday's foreign exchange session, weakening against European currencies while firming against some major commodity-linked and Asian counterparts.
The British pound was the session's standout performer. The GBPUSD pair rallied 0.47 percent to trade at 1.3434, buoyed by stronger-than-expected UK economic data that tempered expectations for near-term Bank of England rate cuts.
The euro also posted modest gains against the greenback. The EURUSD pair edged up 0.05 percent to 1.1759, finding support amid a generally steady European outlook.
In contrast, the US dollar lost ground against the Swiss franc, often seen as a haven currency. The USDCHF pair declined 0.19 percent to 0.7945.
The dollar's performance was firmer elsewhere. It gained significantly against the Japanese yen, with the USDJPY pair rising 0.34 percent to 154.67, as the wide interest rate differential between the U.S. and Japan continued to favor the dollar. The U.S. currency also advanced against the Canadian dollar, with USDCAD up 0.16 percent at 1.3745.
The Australian dollar was flat against the dollar, with AUDUSD unchanged at 0.6638. The New Zealand dollar saw mild strength, with NZDUSD climbing 0.18 percent to 0.5791.
Market analysts noted that the movements reflected a cautiously optimistic tone in European markets and ongoing recalibration of global central bank policy expectations. Traders are now looking ahead to upcoming U.S. inflation data for further direction on the pace of Federal Reserve monetary policy.
Global Markets Close Lower Amid Broad Sell-Off; Asia-Pacific Shares Lead Declines
Major global equity indices closed Tuesday's trading session firmly in negative territory, with sharp losses across Asia-Pacific markets setting a downbeat tone for European bourses. The sell-off was broad-based, reflecting lingering concerns over economic growth and geopolitical tensions.
Canadian Markets
Canada's main benchmark followed the downward trend. TheS&P/TSX Composite Index (^GSPTSE)retreated 219.51 points, or 0.70 percent, closing at 31,263.93, weighed down by losses in the energy and financial sectors.
European and UK Markets
In London, the benchmark FTSE 100 retreated 66.52 points, or 0.68 percent, to close at 9,684.79. The pan-European EURO STOXX 50 index fell 34.69 points, a drop of 0.60 percent, finishing at 5,717.83.
Germany's DAX declined by 153.04 points, or 0.63 percent, to settle at 24,076.87. France's CAC 40 saw a more modest pullback, losing 18.72 points, or 0.23 percent, to end the day at 8,106.16.
The broader Euronext 100 Index fell 8.89 points, down 0.52 percent, closing at 1,697.40. Belgium's BEL 20 was a rare gainer in the region, inching up 4.44 points, or 0.09 percent, to 5,010.92.
Asia-Pacific Markets Under Pressure
Asia-Pacific indices were among the hardest hit. South Korea's KOSPI Composite plunged 91.46 points, a significant loss of 2.24 percent, to 3,999.13.
Japan's Nikkei 225 tumbled 784.82 points, or 1.56 percent, to 49,383.29. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 393.47 points, falling 1.54 percent to 25,235.41.
Taiwan's TWSE Index fell 330.28 points, down 1.19 percent, closing at 27,536.66. Mainland China's SSE Composite Index declined 43.11 points, or 1.11 percent, to 3,824.81.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 decreased by 36.10 points, or 0.42 percent, to 8,598.90, while the All Ordinaries index fell 43.20 points, a 0.48 percent drop, to 8,880.60.
Singapore's STI Index edged down 9.44 points, or 0.21 percent, to 4,579.73. New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 managed a slight gain of 16.81 points, up 0.13 percent, to 13,424.95.
Other Global Indices
India's S&P BSE Sensex closed down 533.50 points, a loss of 0.63 percent, at 84,679.86. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia's IDX Composite rose 36.81 points, gaining 0.43 percent to 8,686.47, and Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI added 4.59 points, or 0.28 percent, to 1,648.31.
In the Middle East, Egypt's EGX 30 declined 303.00 points, or 0.72 percent, to 42,002.40. Israel's TA-125 index advanced 20.99 points, up 0.58 percent, to 3,627.95. South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index gained 18.26 points, a rise of 0.27 percent, to 6,744.63.
Market Summary
The trading day was dominated by risk-off sentiment, with investors showing caution ahead of key economic data and central bank announcements. The pronounced weakness in Asian tech and export-heavy markets subsequently weighed on European equities, dragging major benchmarks lower across the board. The few markets that finished in positive territory saw only marginal gains.
(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).
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Monday 15 December 2025 | Tech slump drags U.S. stocks lower Monday | Big News Network.com
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