U.S. stocks paused for a breather Tuesday, with major equity indices hovering near the flatline as investors digested global developments, including China’s ban on key raw material exports to the U.S. and South Korea’s political turmoil following the president’s announcement of martial law.

Korean-linked exchange traded funds such as the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF EWY fell by 2.7%, recovering some ground from sharper morning losses.

By midday trading in New York, large-cap stocks remained mostly unchanged, while small-cap stocks underperformed, posting notable losses.

Sectors traded within narrow ranges, with energy and communication services showing slight outperformance.

Meta Platforms Inc. META stood out, as its shares climbed by 2.1%, setting fresh all-time highs.

In economic news, U.S. job openings rose to 7.744 million in October, exceeding expectations of 7.48 million and improving from September’s 7.372 million reading. The data signals ongoing resilience in the labor market, ahead of the highly awaited November jobs report scheduled for Friday.

The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) edged down 0.2%, reversing part of Monday’s 0.6% rally. Meanwhile, Treasury yields showed little movement, with the 10-year yield inching up 1 basis point to 4.20%.

Precious metals saw modest gains, with gold rising 0.3% and silver advancing 1.7%.

Oil prices surged 2% after OPEC+ confirmed an extension of production cuts. Additionally, the U.S. imposed sanctions on 35 entities and vessels linked to illicit Iranian oil shipments, further supporting crude prices.

In the cryptocurrency market, sentiment remained subdued. Bitcoin BTC/USD traded steadily around $95,900, while Ethereum ETH/USD and Dogecoin DOGE/USD fell by 1.9% and 4.3%, respectively.

Tuesday’s Performance In Major U.S. Indices, ETFs

Major Indices	Price	Chg. %
Nasdaq 100	21,185.87	0.1 %
S&P 500	6,048.77	0.0%
Dow Jones	44,747.11	-0.1%
Russell 2000	2,421.44	-0.5%

According to Benzinga Pro data:

• The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY flattened at $603.70.
• The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average DIA held steady at $448.42.
• The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series QQQ inched 0.1% up to $515.96.
• The iShares Russell 2000 ETF IWM eased 0.5% to $240.62.
• The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund XLC outperformed, rising 0.5%; the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund XLI lagged, down 0.6%.

Monday’s Stock Movers

• Intel Corp. INTC dropped 5% in reaction to the surprising resignation of CEO Pat Gelsinger.
• AT&T Inc. T surged nearly 4% after the company projected over $50 billion in free cash flow over the next three years and committed to returning at least $40 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks.
• FedEx Corp. FDX fell by 3.8%, following a series of analyst downgrades.
• United States Steel Corporation X plummeted by 8% in reaction to Chinese export restrictions.
• Core & Main Inc. CNM rallied 15% in reaction to stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings.

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