Wall Street declines but still heads for strong monthly profits

Most US stock indexes fell during Tuesday’s trading amid concerns over a potential government shutdown, though Wall Street remains on track for strong gains this month.

Negotiations are still ongoing between the White House and Congress to prevent a federal shutdown, which would inevitably weigh on the economy and markets.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he doubted an agreement could be reached before the end of the day to avert the shutdown, while Vice President J.D. Vance stated that the government is on course to shut down following a failed meeting between Donald Trump and bipartisan leaders.

As for trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% (127 points) to 46,188 points as of 15:57 GMT. The broader S&P 500 Index slipped less than 0.1% (5 points) to 6,656 points, while the Nasdaq Composite inched up less than 0.1% (5 points) to 22,592 points.