U.S. Stocks Turning In Lackluster Performance, Look Set For A Flat Close

(RTTNews) - U.S. stocks are turning in a mixed performance Tuesday afternoon amid somewhat lackluster moves by investors.

Political concerns, rising coronavirus cases and uncertainty about near term trend for the market after the historic climb are weighing on stocks.

The Dow, which rebounded after an early setback, fell into the red again a little past noon, and despite emerging into positive territory again subsequently, is struggling to move higher.

At 31,023.89, the down is now up 13.35 points or 0.04 percent at 31,022.04. The Nasdaq is gaining 11.70 points or about 0.1 percent at 13,048.14, while the S&P 500 is down 2.31 points or 0.05 percent at 3,797.30.

Intel (INTC), General Electric (GE), Goldman Sachs (GS), Home Depot (HD), Travelers Companies (TRV) and DuPont (DWDP) are up sharply.

Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) rose sharply this morning after the company's third-quarter results beat analysts' estimates. The company has also raised its financial outlook for fiscal 2020. Albertsons said its third-quarter net income surged to $123.7 million or $0.20 per share from $54.8 million or $0.09 per share in the prior-year quarter.

Merck & Co (MRK), Walt Disney (DIS), Visa (V), Nike (NKE) and Microsoft (MSFT) are down 1 to 2.5%.

Amid FBI warning about possible armed protests across the United States in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, President Donald Trump declared a State of Emergency in the District of Columbia.

Trump declared on Monday that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District's response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the Presidential Inauguration.