US Stocks Steady Ahead of Fed's Decision
2025-12-09 21:01
By
Felipe Alarcon
1 min. read
US stocks closed mostly flat on Tuesday as traders weighed fresh labor data and corporate updates ahead of the Federal Reserve policy decision.
The S&P 500 finished little changed and the Nasdaq inched higher while the Dow slipped 0.3% after JPMorgan sank 4.7% after management projected 2026 expenses near $105 billion, well above analyst expectations and a drag on bank heavyweights.
Labor readings added to the cautious tone, with job openings rising to about 7.67 million in October, a signal that supports the Fed’s data-dependent stance even as markets assign a high probability to a 25 bp cut this week.
Elsewhere, Nvidia retreated 0.3% after reports that China may restrict domestic H200 purchases even though Washington cleared exports with a 25% surcharge.
Home Depot lost 1.3% after issuing softer 2026 earnings growth guidance.
Investors also monitored developments in the Paramount (+0.5%) and Netflix (-0.1%) pursuit of Warner Bros (3.8%).