Caution dominates Wall Street trading as geopolitical tensions escalate
Major U.S. indexes closed with slight gains on Wednesday as investors remained cautious over tensions in the Middle East and more U.S. jobs data due this week.
Israel and the United States vowed to respond after Iran attacked Israel on Tuesday. US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he would not support any Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites in response to its missile attack and urged Israel to act proportionately.
On the economic data front, U.S. private sector wages rose more than expected in September, further evidence that the labor market is not deteriorating. Investors remained focused on September nonfarm payrolls data due on Friday.
Performance of major US indices:
The Dow Jones rose slightly by 0.09%, or 39 points, in Wednesday's session, failing to regain the 42,200-point level.
The S&P 500 index also rose 0.01% to close above 5,700 points.
The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.08%, failing to regain the 18,000-point level.
Tesla shares
Tesla shares fell 3.5% on Wednesday, posting their biggest daily loss in a month as the company lost $29 billion in market value in a single day.
The losses came after the electric carmaker reported lower-than-expected third-quarter vehicle deliveries.
Sales have reached 1.29 million vehicles since the beginning of the year, down 2%, meaning it needs to sell about 515,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter to match last year's sales.
Nike shares
Nike shares fell about 7%, posting their biggest one-day loss in three months, after the athletic shoe and apparel maker withdrew its annual revenue forecast as a new chief executive is set to take over.
The company also reported a decline in quarterly sales in China, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
