As the final days of 2024 approach, US benchmark equity indexes showed a downward trend, with traders attentively preparing for the opening bell on Monday. In premarket activity, both the Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq indexes experienced declines of 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 0.1%.
On the international front, most Asian exchanges reported losses, and European bourses displayed mixed to lower outcomes by midday on the continent. Investors should note that the US markets will observe a closure on Wednesday in observance of New Year’s Day, with a scheduled reopening on Thursday. Critical economic insights are set to unfold today, beginning with the Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index data for December, which is expected to be released at 9:45 AM ET.
Following this, the National Association of Realtors is set to reveal the pending home sales index for November at 10 AM. Additionally, the Dallas Federal Reserve will release its manufacturing survey for the current month at 10:30 AM, providing key insights into the health of the manufacturing sector. In individual stock news, Boeing ($BA) saw a notable decline of 3.3% prior to the opening bell, sparked by South Korea's decision to conduct inspections on all B737-800 aircraft following a tragic crash involving Jeju Air over the weekend, as reported by various media outlets.
Conversely, shares of the cybersecurity firm Intrusion ($INTZ) skyrocketed by an astounding 89%, illustrating the market's fluctuating nature. Further data showed that Tesla ($TSLA) shares decreased by 1.3% before the bell, while Nvidia ($NVDA) dipped slightly by 0.5%. Palantir Technologies ($PLTR) also faced a decline, with a drop of 1.1% in its stock value. In the realm of cryptocurrencies, bitcoin experienced a modest increase of 0.4%, trading at $93,807.
In energy markets, West Texas Intermediate crude oil saw a rise of 0.2%, now priced at $70.72 per barrel. Meanwhile, yields on 10-year Treasuries fell by 2.6 basis points to 4.59%, and gold saw a slight slip of 0.1%, adjusting to $2,631 per ounce. Key tickers worth noting include $US30, $US500, $BA, $INTZ, $TSLA, $NVDA, and $PLTR..