Tuesday on Wall Street was marked by a subdued trend in major equity indices as investors remained cautious ahead of key inflation data scheduled for release on Thursday and the kick-off of the earnings season.

Among the major indices, the Nasdaq 100 outperformed with a slight 0.1% gain, while the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones experienced small declines of 0.2% and 0.6% respectively. The S&P 500, as tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSE:RSP), slipped 0.4%.

Small-cap stocks, represented by the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM), retreated by 0.9%, partially offsetting Monday’s robust 1.9% surge.

Notable chipmakers continue to make headlines. Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) soared over 3% to a new record high, reaching $539 per share. Meanwhile, peer Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) gained 2.1%.

On Monday, Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman shifted her previously hawkish stance, now viewing U.S. monetary policy as “sufficiently restrictive” and signaling openness to potential interest-rate cuts as inflation eases. Treasury yields remained steady, while the U.S. dollar saw some modest gains in the forex market.

In the world of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) experienced a slight decline of about 1%, just ahead of the eagerly anticipated SEC decision regarding the approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF, expected to be announced on Wednesday.

Tuesday's Performance In US Major Indices, ETFs

Sector-wise, tech was the only sector avoiding losses, with the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLK) up 0.1%. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLE) was the laggard, down 1.3%.

On an industry level, semiconductors sharply outperformed, with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NYSE:SMH) up 3%. Stocks in the oil and gas downstream industries fell the most, with the VanEck Oil Services ETF (NYSE:OIH) down 2.5%.

Tuesday's Stock Movers