The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 122.29 points, or 0.23%, to 52,298.91 after market open.

Market movement at a glance

The decline was recorded shortly after trading commenced, with the index registering a loss of 122.29 points from its previous close. The move placed the Dow Jones at 52,298.91, reflecting early session downward pressure on the benchmark index.

U.S. equities traded lower on Tuesday, led by a sharp decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The index fell more than 250 points to close at 52,135.49, marking a drop of 0.55%.

The broader market also retreated. The NASDAQ Composite declined 0.32% to 26,101.58, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.24% to 7,601.85.

Sector Performance

Sector performance was mixed amid the broader sell-off. Energy shares emerged as the sole bright spot, jumping 0.9%. In contrast, real estate stocks faced pressure, falling 1%.

Economic Data

Macroeconomic data reinforced the cautious sentiment. The New York Federal Reserve’s Empire State Manufacturing Index declined significantly in September.

The reading of 7.6 represented a 13-point drop from August’s 20.6 and missed market estimates of 14.75.

Individual Stock Movers

Several small-cap stocks saw extreme volatility driven by corporate actions.

Gainers

• Veea Inc (NASDAQ: VEEA) surged 113% to $4.88 after announcing a term sheet to combine with NovaGen Group.
• My Size Inc (NASDAQ: MYSZ) rose 47% to $2.44 following an announcement of an acquisition-led strategy for a defense technology platform.
• SU Group Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: SUGP) gained 60% to $1.14 after securing an exclusive distributorship for TRACELINE PX3 Portable X-Ray System and acquiring KM Safety Solution.

Losers

• Huachen AI Parking Mgmt Tech Hldg Co Ltd (NASDAQ: HCAI) dropped 65% to $0.65 after pricing a $2.75 million registered direct offering.
• Cheetah Net Supply Chain Service Inc (NASDAQ: CTNT) fell 46% to $0.082 following an agreement to acquire JoyPak Supply.
• Intercont (Cayman) Ltd (NASDAQ: NCT) declined 37% to $0.31 after announcing a 1-for-25 reverse share split.

Global Markets and Commodities

International markets showed varied results. European shares were mixed, with Spain’s IBEX 35 rising 0.4% and Germany’s DAX gaining 0.1%. However, London’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2%, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.1%, and the eurozone’s STOXX 600 declined 0.1%.

Asian markets closed lower across the board. India’s BSE Sensex tumbled 1.04%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped 1%, China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.54%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.01%.

In commodities, oil prices held steady, trading up 0.1% to $101.48. Precious metals were mixed, with gold down 0.5% at $4,331.30, while silver rose 0.3% to $64.335. Copper also gained, rising 0.6% to $6.4425.

What the Numbers Show

The divergence between the Energy sector’s gain and the broader market decline suggests investors are rotating into defensive or inflation-hedging assets amidst softening manufacturing data. The significant miss in the Empire State Manufacturing Index against expectations highlights weakening industrial momentum in a key U.S. region.