US equities were mixed on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 trading modestly higher as gains in Palantir Technologies and a rebound in gold and silver helped support broader sentiment following a strong start to the new trading month.
The S&P 500 was up about 0.1% in early trading. The Nasdaq Composite outperformed, rising 0.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered near the flatline, reflecting a more cautious tone in parts of the market.
Palantir, Teradyne drive gains in tech
Shares of Palantir Technologies surged about 10% after the defence-focused technology firm reported strong fourth-quarter financial results and issued upbeat guidance.
The rally in Palantir provided a notable lift to the broader technology sector and contributed to the Nasdaq’s outperformance.
Another bright spot within tech was Teradyne, whose shares jumped roughly 6%.
The robotics-focused company posted a solid outlook for the first quarter, calling for revenue that exceeded market expectations, reinforcing optimism around automation-related demand.
Elsewhere in the sector, shares of Alphabet were up about 1% ahead of the company’s earnings report due Wednesday.
Investors are closely watching results from major technology firms this week for indications of how artificial intelligence investments are translating into efficiency gains and profit growth, particularly after a harsh market reaction to Microsoft’s results last week.
Precious metals rebound as risk appetite stabilises
Gold and silver prices rebounded sharply on Tuesday after settling lower in the previous session.
Spot gold rose around 5% on the day, while spot silver jumped about 9%.
The bounce followed a period of heavy selling pressure, with both metals having declined on Friday and again on Monday.
The rebound in precious metals came after a broader pullback in risk assets earlier in the week.
Alongside weakness in gold and silver on Monday, bitcoin fell to its lowest level since April, signalling a waning appetite for risk among investors.
Tuesday’s recovery in metals suggested some stabilisation in sentiment, even as volatility persisted across asset classes.
Earnings season intensifies
Investors are also digesting a heavy slate of corporate earnings, with more than 100 S&P 500 companies reporting results this week.
In addition to Alphabet, Amazon, another member of the so-called “Magnificent Seven,” is scheduled to report later in the week.
Outside of technology, Pfizer reported fourth-quarter results on Tuesday that topped analyst estimates, despite declining demand for its Covid-related products.
The drugmaker also reaffirmed its modest 2026 guidance, which had unsettled investors in December.
Shares of Merck fell around 1% after the company issued what the market viewed as a cautious outlook for 2026.
Merck said it expects revenue to range between $65.5 billion and $67 billion for the year, as it prepares to lose patent protection on some products and face increased competition from generics.
Analysts surveyed by LSEG had been expecting revenue of about $67.6 billion.
Meanwhile, PepsiCo reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that exceeded expectations.
Despite the beat, the company’s shares were down around 1% as it flagged declining volumes, highlighting ongoing challenges in consumer demand.
The post US stocks mixed at open: Nasdaq climbs 0.4%, Dow trades flat appeared first on Invezz