S&P 500 and Nasdaq started lower on Tuesday as investors worried again about high-tech stock prices and watched for progress in ending the longest US government shutdown.
In the early hours of trading, Dow Jones Industrial Average rose slightly by 15.9 points, or 0.03%, to 47,384.51. S&P 500 fell 16.8 points, or 0.25%, to 6,815.64, while Nasdaq dropped 119.5 points, or 0.51%, to 23,407.72.
High prices for tech stocks and the ongoing government shutdown have been putting pressure on US market. Big technology companies, known as the “Magnificent Seven,” including Nvidia, Alphabet, and Apple have done very well in 2025 due to advances in artificial intelligence and fast innovation.
But because their stock prices are so high, the tech sector is now more vulnerable to investors selling shares and rethinking whether those prices can last. Concerns about slower economic growth have also made investors more cautious, leading to drops in tech stock prices.
The record-long government shutdown has added more uncertainty by delaying important economic reports. Although past shutdowns usually had little direct effect on the market, this long one is worrying investors about its impact on the economy and growth. Efforts in Congress to end the shutdown have sometimes lifted the market briefly, but overall, the uncertainty continues to weigh on investor confidence.
Senate has voted to end the country’s longest government shutdown, which lasted 40 days as of Sunday. The decision came after at least eight Democrats supported a plan from President Donald Trump and the Republicans.
With the Senate’s approval of the spending bill, the stalemate has ended. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives for a vote before being sent to President Trump to sign.The Republican plan would fund parts of the federal government, ncluding food aid, veterans’ programs, and Congress, and keep the government running until January 30.