NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks continued lower on Tuesday with the tech sector again leading the way. Investors and traders remain spooked by the on-again, off-again talks with Tehran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The CPI report, due out Wednesday, also kept market participants on edge.

"I expect the CPI report to continue its downward trend which will further support the case for the Federal Reserve to hold rates steady rather than hiking them, even with last Friday's weak jobs report," Dennis Follmer, chief investment officer at Montis Financial, told CNBC Tuesday.

"Services inflation could continue to be a sticky problem, but that sector is not very sensitive to interest rates, so it shouldn't really damage the case for holding steady," he added.

In New York, the Standard and Poor's 500 fell 24.92 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 7,728.19. The benchmark index traded between an intraday low of 7,717.25 and a high of 7,767.51, with volume reaching 2.424 billion shares.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 184.07 points, a decline of 0.34 percent, finishing the day at 53,791.91. The blue-chip index saw a trading range of 53,746.43 to 54,222.85, with 372.964 million shares changing hands.

The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite underperformed its peers, dropping 159.91 points, or 0.60 percent, to settle at 26,445.45, weighed down by a sell-off in megacap growth stocks.

Global stock markets delivered a mixed performance at the closing bell on Tuesday, with Asian and European benchmarks showing tentative gains. The trading session closed with a notable divergence as investors weighed geopolitical uncertainties and interest rate expectations against a backdrop of cautious corporate earnings.

Canada's S&P/TSX Composite index eked out a tiny gain, rising 17.59 points, or 0.05 percent, to finish at 36,475.92.

Across the Atlantic, UK and European markets closed with modest losses overall. London's FTSE 100 dipped 18.31 points, or 0.17 percent, ending the session at 10,844.19, after hitting an intraday peak of 10,893.22. Meanwhile, in France, the CAC 40 declined by 11.09 points, or 0.13 percent, to finish at 8,714.94.

However, not all of Europe was in the red: the German DAX P bucked the trend, gaining 67.54 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 26,391.42. The EURO STOXX 50 I also climbed, adding 15.60 points, or 0.24 percent, to settle at 6,551.22, while the Euronext 100 Index rose 4.13 points, or 0.21 percent, landing at 1,976.97. Belgium's BEL 20 was a notable outlier, falling 48.37 points, or 0.84 percent.

In Asia, the session was characterised by sharp divergences. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was the standout performer, soaring 1,363.51 points, or 2.08 percent, to close at 66,970.22, buoyed by a weaker yen and strong export data. However, Hong Kong's HANG SENG INDEX tumbled 284.67 points, or 1.10 percent, ending the day at 25,652.82, pressured by concerns over China's economic recovery. Mainland China's SSE Composite Index also fell, shedding 32.50 points, or 0.82 percent, to close at 3,934.09.

Other Asia-Pacific markets showed resilience. The STI Index in Singapore advanced 55.74 points, or 0.98 percent, to 5,754.17, while in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 18.00 points, or 0.19 percent, to finish at 9,250.60, and the broader ALL ORDINARIES rose 19.60 points, or 0.21 percent, to 9,443.70.

India's S&P BSE SENSEX fell 388.19 points, or 0.49 percent, closing at 78,154.25, while Indonesia's IDX COMPOSITE dropped sharply by 97.49 points, or 1.53 per cent, to 6,267.88.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI dipped 3.91 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,731.46, and New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS lost 27.58 points, or 0.20 percent, ending at 13,860.66. In contrast, in South Korea, the KOSPI Composite Index rose 45.87 points, or 0.73 percent, to 6,345.53, while in Taiwan, the TWSE Capitalisation Weighted Stock Index climbed 191.96 points, or 0.43 percent, to close at 45,120.72.

 In the Middle East on Tuesday, Israel's TA-125 fell 5.75 points, or 0.14 percent, to 4,033.17, while in Egypt, the EGX 30 Price Return Index dipped 46.70 points, or 0.09 percent, closing at 54,829.30. South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index lost 107.96 points, or 1.48 percent, to settle at 7,176.36.

In currency markets, the U.S. Dollar Index remained flat at 99.81, unchanged in percentage terms. The MSCI EUROPE index dipped 2.02 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,900.91. The British Pound Currency Index gained 0.02 points, or 0.01 percent, to 135.09, while the Euro Currency Index was unchanged at 115.43. The Japanese Yen Currency Index edged down 0.00 points, or 0.01 percent, to 62.78, and the Australian Dollar Currency Index rose 0.05 points to finish at 70.62.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

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Monday 10 August 2026 | U.S. stocks weaken Monday as doubts remain over deal with Iran  | Big News Network