Stock Market Today: Tesla's Sustained Slide Leads Nasdaq Lower In Choppy Trading Day
Tesla's stock continued its sustained slide Tuesday in a day of choppy trading amid an uncertain 2023 economic outlook.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 37.76 points, or 0.11%, to close at 33,241.69. The S&P 500 dipped 15.58 points, or 0.41%, to close at 3,829.24, and the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 144.64 points, or 1.38%, to close at 10,353.23.
Shares of Tesla (TSLA) plunged 11.41%, or $14.05 a share, to close at $109.10 after the Wall Street Journal reported that the carmaker was extending its production pause at its Shanghai plant, the company's largest. The Journal reported that mounting COVID cases prompted the extended pause. Stocks of companies doing business in China are also getting battered because of COVID concerns.
Tesla is one of the worst-performing technology stocks of the year, dropping 68% for the year.
Tesla shares have fallen more than 70% from their record high in November 2021. The Tesla sell-off accelerated in recent weeks after founder and CEO Elon Musk purchased Twitter and took over management of the social media platform.
Broader markets tread water for most of the day amid uncertainty over next year's economic outlook. The Federal Reserve has been aggressively raising interest rates to battle inflation.
A few key economic indicators recently show the rate of inflation to be slowing. But Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled more rate increases were likely in 2023, raising concern the central bank's inflation-fighting actions will push the economy into recession.
Some stocks that fell Tuesday included Southwest Airlines (LUV), which closed at $33.94, down $2.15, or 5.96%. Amazon (AMZN) shares fell 2.59%, or $2.21 a share, to close at $83.04.
"Companies with heavy China exposure have a cloud over them for the moment," Louis Navellier, chief investment officer of Navellier & Associates, told the Journal.
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