Wall Street Wavers as Fed's Two-Day Policy Meeting Gets Underway

04:38 PM EST, 12/09/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity benchmarks ended mixed Tuesday as traders digested fresh labor market data, a day before the Federal Reserve announces its monetary policy decision.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4% to 47,560.3, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.1% to 6,840.5 -- both closing lower for the second straight day. The Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.1% to 23,576.5. Among sectors, energy led the gainers, while health care saw the biggest drop.

In economic news, US job openings increased to 7.67 million as of the last day of October from 7.66 million the month before, delayed official data showed Tuesday. The consensus was for a 7.12 million level in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

"The data is unlikely to prevent the (Fed) from following through with a rate cut later this week, but it does support our assumption that officials will opt for an extended pause due to signs of labor market stabilization," Oxford Economics said in a note.

Markets are pricing in an 87% probability that the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee will reduce its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points Wednesday, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

The FOMC has lowered interest rates by a total of 50 basis points this year amid worries over the health of the labor market.

"The latest read on inflation and labor market openings is likely to intensify the ongoing debate among Fed officials as to their next policy move tomorrow and longer term looking out into the new year," Stifel Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza said in a report e-mailed to MT Newswires. "With a growing number of Fed officials concerned about the lack of disinflationary momentum, any decision to cut again will likely be accompanied by dissenting votes and/or a notably more hawkish statement paring back expectations for further policy easing in 2026."

US small business optimism improved in November as more owners expected higher sales, though there were continued concerns over labor quality, the National Federation of Independent Business said Tuesday.

"Although optimism increased, small business owners are still frustrated by the lack of qualified workers," NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said. "Despite this, more firms still plan to create new jobs in the near future."

US Treasury yields were higher, with the the two-year rate increasing 3.8 basis points to 3.62% and the 10-year rate up two basis points at 4.19%.

In company news, Boeing's (BA) jet deliveries fell month over month in November and trailed European rival Airbus' tally. The US planemaker's shares fell 2.9%, the second-worst performer on the Dow.

AutoZone's (AZO) fiscal first-quarter earnings dropped year over year, while the auto parts retailer's revenue fell short of market estimates. The company's shares slumped 7.2%, the steepest decline on the S&P 500.

Nvidia (NVDA) faces uncertainty around selling its H200 artificial intelligence chips in China, despite US President Donald Trump allowing exports of the technology to Beijing, Wedbush Securities said. Nvidia's (NVDA) shares dipped 0.3%.

CVS Health (CVS) shares rose 2.2% after the company increased its full-year outlook amid ongoing efforts to strengthen its core businesses. CVS said it expects earnings in 2026 to be higher than 2025.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.9% at $58.35 a barrel in Tuesday late-afternoon trade.

"While geopolitical risk premiums still pulse through the market, the dominant narrative has returned to the prospect of a swelling (oil) surplus into early 2026," Saxo Bank said in a report published on Tuesday.

Gold rose 0.5% to $4,240.60 per troy ounce, while silver jumped 4.9% to $61.27 per ounce.

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