Tuesday handed Wall Street a broad but uneven selloff, with the Nasdaq bearing the sharpest pain — tumbling 1.85% to close at 25,752.31. The tech-heavy index led declines as investors pulled back from high-multiple growth names in a session defined more by caution than conviction. The S&P 500 shed 0.48% to settle at 7,484.58, while the Dow Jones proved the most resilient of the major averages, dipping just 0.31% to 52,512.08.
Small-caps also felt the squeeze, with the Russell 2000 falling 0.91% to 2,950.05 — a sign that the risk-off tone extended beyond large-cap tech. Gold continued its role as a safe-haven anchor, holding firm at $4,122.19 as investors sought ballast against equity uncertainty.
Tesla was the session's most notable casualty among mega-caps, shedding 4.02% to $402.90 amid lingering doubts about EV demand and the sustainability of its margins in a competitive market. The decline weighed meaningfully on both the Nasdaq and the broader consumer discretionary space.
Meta Platforms stood out as the rare bright spot, climbing 2.55% to $615.58 and suggesting that not all of Big Tech is in retreat — investors appear willing to reward names with clear AI monetization stories even on down days.