Stocks Finish Flat as Bank Earnings and Chip Weakness Offset; J&J and Six Flags Sink

U.S. stocks ended nearly unchanged Tuesday. The S&P 500 closed at 7,805.45, down 0.02%, the Nasdaq slipped 0.15% to 27,204.38 and the Dow lost 0.35% to 51,670.10. The Russell 2000 fell 0.3%, and about 56% of issues declined.

Individual movers diverged sharply. UnitedHealth rose roughly 4% to 5% after beating expectations and lifting its full-year outlook, and Meta gained about 3.4% on AI model rollouts. Johnson & Johnson fell more than 5% after a talc litigation charge and a MedTech miss, and Six Flags tumbled about 14% following a fatal coaster incident.

Energy and utilities led sectors while healthcare and technology lagged. With Bank of America reporting Wednesday and inflation data in focus, investors remain balanced between solid earnings growth and rising rate risk.