Stocks Struggle to Hold Early Gains Midday

Stocks fell back a bit on Tuesday, after recovering some of the steep losses from the previous session as shares of Big Tech advanced.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed early gains and fell 121.81 points to 27,025.89.

The S&P 500 also fell 1.97 points to 3,279.25.

The NASDAQ faded from initial gains, but remained ahead 6.62 points to greet noon at 10,785.54.

The Dow has dropped 4.5% and the S&P 500 has fallen 6.3% this month, while the NASDAQ has dropped 8.4% as investors dumped high-flying tech giants.

Amazon shares rose 3.2% after a Bernstein analyst upgraded the e-commerce giant to buy from hold, noting the recent pullback offers an attractive “entry point” for investors. Facebook, Apple and Microsoft were also higher.

Shares of Tesla dropped 3.4% after CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet that the electric carmaker’s “Battery Day” event would not reach “serious high-volume production” until 2022, which disappointed investors and analysts.

Traders also digested remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who reiterated the central bank will support the economy “for as long as it takes.”

Gains were kept in check, however, after U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced further restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. He noted the country was at a “perilous turning point” and ordered bars and restaurants to close between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The restrictions also expand on the list of places requiring people wear a mask.

Prices for the 10-Year Treasury were static, keeping yields at Monday’s 0.67%.

Oil prices added 17 cents to $39.48 U.S. a barrel.

Gold prices dropped $4.50 to $1,906.10 U.S. an ounce.