NEW YORK, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended mixed on Tuesday, as Wall Street appeared to downplay fears of a nuclear escalation stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while Nvidia's solid rise bolstered the tech-heavy Nasdaq.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 120.66 points, or 0.28 percent, to 43,268.94, slipping for its fourth trading day in a row. The S&P 500 added 23.36 points, or 0.40 percent, to 5,916.98. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 195.66 points, or 1.04 percent, to 18,987.47, aided by shares of Nvidia.
Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with technology and communication services leading the gainers by adding 1.22 percent and 1.03 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy and financials led the laggards by losing 0.67 percent and 0.64 percent, respectively.
The market reacted to reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine allowing broader use of atomic weapons. This development followed the U.S. approval of Ukraine's use of long-range missiles to target Russian territory. The geopolitical tensions gave a boost to haven plays such as government bonds and gold.
However, stocks trimmed earlier losses after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov assured that Moscow would take all necessary measures to avoid the outbreak of a nuclear war.
"The biggest takeaway today is caution around what's going on in Ukraine. Largely investors are hiding out in some of the megacap names, which is a little bit surprising ahead of Nvidia earnings, but they are highly liquid," said Timothy Chubb, chief investment officer at Girard, a Univest Wealth Division.
In other corporate news, Walmart posted third-quarter earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations, which pushed the retailer's shares up 3 percent. However, following its earnings report on Tuesday, the company said in a statement: "We're concerned that significantly increased tariffs could lead to increased costs for our customers at a time when they are still feeling the remnants of inflation," warning that President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs would raise costs for customers.
