(Reuters) – The New York Stock Exchange ended in scattered order on Tuesday, with only the Dow Jones rising as the S&P-500 declined after peaking during the session, as investors watch for travel disruption and store closings caused by the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The Dow Jones index gained 0.26%, or 95.83 points, 36,398.21 points.
The larger S & P-500 lost 4.84 points, or 0.10%, 4,786.35 points.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 89.54 points (0.56%) 15,781.72 points.
Several thousand flights were canceled during the Christmas weekend in the United States, where the Omicron variant quickly became the majority and caused an outbreak of contaminations, particularly in New York. Apple has announced the closure of its stores in the “Big Apple” because of the health situation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, decided on Monday to reduce, five days against ten previously, the duration of isolation of Americans infected with COVID-19 but not showing any symptoms.
The decision came after the authorization granted last week by the US drug regulator for the emergency use of two oral treatments for COVID-19 developed by Pfizer and Merck.
It helped alleviate the fears of investors about the health situation, while the main Wall Street indices remained in the green for four consecutive days before the session on Tuesday.
“It’s a week shortened by the holidays, so daily movements should be accentuated due to relatively low volumes,” commented Sam Stovall, chief strategist at CFRA Research, New York.
Of the eleven major sectors of the S & P-500, seven advanced. The biggest drops were in communications technology and services.
In terms of values, Boeing finished up 1.46% after Indonesia lifted the 737 MAX flight ban in force for three years and the fatal accident of an aircraft of this model.
(French version Jean Terzian)