Disappointing US retail sales data, surging virus cases and worries about shutdowns dented sentiment. Shares of pharmacy owner CVS Health (-8.6%) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (-9.6%) both dropped after Amazon (+0.2%) launched an online pharmacy.
But retailers Walmart (-2%), Home Depot (-2.5%) and Kohl’s (+11.6%) all beat earnings expectations. Tesla shares jumped 8.2% on news that it would join the S&P 500 index on December 21. The Dow Jones index closed lower by 167 points or 0.6% after being down 430 points at session lows. The S&P 500 index dipped 0.5%. And the Nasdaq index fell by 24 points or 0.2%.
