US Stock Market Today, Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq: Wall Street indices staged mixed moves on Wednesday, as losses in major material, financial and consumer discretionary stocks offset gains in energy, health and technology heavyweights. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell as much as 243.7 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 44,312.7 during the session. That was in stark contrast with a gain of 18.6 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 20,059.9 in the technology stocks-heavy Nasdaq Composite.
The S&P 500–one of the two US blue-chip indices besides Dow Jones–gyrated in a six-point range around the flatline.
Top Dow Gainers vs Losers Today
| Stock | Price ($) | Change (%) |
| Home Depot Inc | 394.5 | -2.2 |
| Nike Inc | 76.2 | -1.8 |
| Salesforce Inc | 323.9 | -1.5 |
| McDonald’s Corp | 300.2 | -1.5 |
| Sherwin-Williams Co | 349.5 | -1.0 |
| American Express Co | 309.8 | -1.0 |
| Travelers Companies Inc | 240.4 | 0.9 |
| Coca-Cola Co | 69.7 | 0.9 |
| Honeywell International Inc | 210.0 | 0.9 |
| Merck & Co Inc | 84.1 | 1.0 |
| Verizon Communications Inc | 41.8 | 1.5 |
| Walt Disney Co | 111.3 | 1.6 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 157.6 | 1.7 |
At 1:44 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday (12:14 am Thursday in India), the 30-scrip Dow universe was divided equally between gainers and losers. Home Depot, Nike, McDonald’s, Salesforce and Amex, trading around 1-2 per cent lower each, were the top laggards in the basket.
On the flipside, Johnson & Johnson, Walt Disney, Verizon, Merck and Coca Cola, rising around 1-2 per cent each, were the top Dow gainers.
Top Nasdaq Gainers vs Losers
In the Nasdaq pack, Cadence and Intel were the top laggards, trading 10 per cent and 5.4 per cent lower respectively. Meta Platforms was down 1.9 per cent.
On the other hand, Tesla shares were trading 2.5 per cent higher.
Donald Trump’s Tariff Tantrum
US President Donald Trump’s latest warnings on the trade tariffs front kept investors on the back foot, as they awaited minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee’s January meeting.
Key Things to Track in US Stock Market on Wednesday
The last Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy review took place on January 28 and 29 wherein the Fed decided to keep the US benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4.25-4.5 per cent.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the US central bank awaited more data on inflation trends and jobs in the world’s largest economy to take a call on interest rates.
Here are a few things to watch out for in the US:
- FOMC minutes
- Crude oil stockpiles data
- US jobless claims data
Global Trade War Looms Large Over Markets
Analysts await more clarity on the impact of US President Donald Trump’s policies.
Trump has hinted at plans to impose a 25 per cent tariff on car imports and similar levies on products like drugs and semiconductor chips as soon as April 2.
However, the 47th president of the US, who took office in January 2025, has indicated that businesses will be given time to move their manufacturing plants to the US before the levies come into force.
Many analysts and market experts are divided over the repurcussions of an imminent trade war triggered by what some are referring to as “Trump trade”.
Some are also fearing that sudden trade tariff moves by the US and other major economies’ response to them could impact economic growth, lead to inflationary pressure and even lead to geopolitical risks.
Nifty 50 | How Dalal Street Fared on Wednesday
Back home, domestic equity benchmarks finished yet another choppy session mildly in the red. The Sensex lost 28.2 points to end at 75,939.2 while the Nifty50 gave up 12.4 points to close at 22,932.9, as selling pressure in IT stocks offset buying in financial shares.
On Dalal Street, a mix of factors such as muted earnings, persistent FII outflows and global trade-related concerns has kept the bulls at bay.
Trump’s aggressive tariff stance has rattled several markets across the globe and Dalal Street is no exception. If implemented, these tariffs could potentially hurt India’s export-driven sectors, such as IT and pharmaceuticals, say analysts.
Market guru Anil Singhvi believes that slapping a full 25 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals is nearly impossible.
The US heavily depends on affordable Indian generics, and any drastic move could worsen the healthcare crisis for American consumers. A symbolic tariff in the range of 5-10 per cent is more likely, but even that could negatively impact pharma exporters, he said ahead of Wednesday’s opening bell on Dalal Street.
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With inputs from agencies
Source:https://www.zeebiz.com/markets/global-markets/news-dow-jones-us-stock-market-update-feb-19-sp-500-nasdaq-big-tech-faang-347988