US stocks turned positive after a stumbling start to Tuesday’s trading session. Investors are treading carefully on the eve of Nvidia’s (NVDA) potentially market-moving earnings report.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) hugged the flatline in mid-morning trading after the blue-chip benchmark eked out a record close to start the week. The benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) both reversed earlier losses to each tick up about 0.1%.
Stocks are struggling to find a footing as investors debate whether chipmaker Nvidia’s high-stakes results on Wednesday can once again live up to elevated expectations. Semiconductor stocks lost ground on Tuesday alongside a 1% drop for the AI darling, a sign of how Nvidia’s report could ripple through techs as it tests the AI trade that has driven gains.
At the same time, investors are counting down to a crucial update to the inflation gauge favored by the Federal Reserve. Chair Jerome Powell’s clear message that an interest rate cut is imminent confirmed widespread confidence in a policy pivot in September. Friday’s reading on the PCE price index could dent or cement bets on a 0.5% interest rate cut next month.
On the corporate front, Apple (AAPL) is replacing its long-standing CFO with an insider, Kevan Parekh, with just two weeks to go for its biggest product launch of the year. Meanwhile, the Paramount (PARA) takeover looks to be nearing an end, with Skydance Media set to seal a deal after media veteran Eric Bronfman dropped his bid.
Live3 updates
-
Paramount stock falls after Bronfman exits bid process
Paramount (PARA) stock fell over 5% early Tuesday after the company announced the official end of its “go-shop” period and billionaire Edgar Bronfman Jr. dropped out of the race to take over the media giant
Paramount’s announcement all but confirms Skydance Media will be the next owner of the company, ending years of deal speculation surrounding the media giant controlled by Shari Redstone through her family’s holding company, National Amusements (NAI).
“Having thoroughly explored actionable opportunities for Paramount over nearly eight months, our Special Committee continues to believe that the transaction we have agreed with Skydance delivers immediate value and the potential for continued participation in value creation in a rapidly evolving industry landscape,” Charles Phillips, chair of Paramount’s special committee, said in a statement.
Bronfman, heir to the Seagram spirits fortune and current executive chairman at FuboTV (FUBO), submitted a last-minute bid earlier this month. At the time, the proposed $6 billion takeover of National Amusements threatened to derail the roughly $8 billion agreement the company reached with Skydance just one month prior.
According to multiple reports, Bronfman had difficulty securing the financing for the deal, which included investors like Fortress and BC Partners Credit. This difficulty led to Bronfman’s early withdrawal from the bid process.
“We continue to believe that Paramount Global is an extraordinary company, with an unrivaled collection of marquee brands, assets and people,” Bronfman said in a statement.
The Skydance transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to regulatory approval.
-
Consumer confidence rises more than expected, despite weakening labor outlook
Consumer confidence rose more than expected in August, despite a continued weak in consumers’ assessment of the labor market.
The latest index reading from the Conference Board was 103.3, above the 101.9 seen in July and higher than the 100.7 economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected.
“Overall consumer confidence rose in August but remained within the narrow range that has prevailed over the past two years,” said Dana M. Peterson, The Conference Board chief economist. “Consumers continued to express mixed feelings in August. Compared to July, they were more positive about business conditions, both current and future, but also more concerned about the labor market.”
Peterson added: “Consumers’ assessments of the current labor situation, while still positive, continued to weaken, and assessments of the labor market going forward were more pessimistic. This likely reflects the recent increase in unemployment. Consumers were also a bit less positive about future income.”
The report comes as recent economic data has shown softening in the labor market. In July, the unemployment rate hit 4.3%, its highest level in nearly three years. Meanwhile, the US labor market added 114,000 jobs, the second-lowest monthly total since 2020.
In August’s consumer confidence report, 32.8% of people said jobs were “plentiful,” down from 33.4% in July. Meanwhile, 16.4% said jobs were “hard to get,” up slightly from 16.3%.
-
Stocks edge lower at opening bell
US stocks moved lower on Tuesday after the Dow hit an all-time high the day prior.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell roughly 0.2%. The benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) also edged about 0.2% lower while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) dropped roughly 0.3% on the heels of closing losses for both gauges.
![i’m-nervous,-too!-[part-2]](https://10xwealthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/177042-im-nervous-too-part-2-1568x784.jpg)
