The Dow Jones Industrials fell back 329.87 points, or 1.1%, to 29,849.18. Dow-component Nike jumped more than 6% to hit a record high on the back of strong earnings.
The S&P 500 removed 67.41 points, or 1.8%, to 3,642. Tesla dropped as much as 6% as it entered the S&P 500 with a 1.69% weighting in the index, the fifth largest.
The NASDAQ slumped 204.44 points, or 1.8%, to 12,550.12.
Now with a stimulus agreed upon, investors may also be seeking to lock in profits after an unexpected banner year. With only two trading weeks left in 2020, the S&P 500 is up 13.6% for the year, while the 30-stock Dow has risen 5.2%. The NASDAQ has rallied 40.7% this year as investors favored high-growth technology companies.
Travel-related stocks came under pressure on news of an infectious new coronavirus strain in the U.K., which triggered more severe lockdowns and travel restrictions across Europe.
Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines’ shares each dropped more than 3%. American Airlines slid 5.2%, while United Airlines fell more than 4%. More than two-dozen countries from Italy to India to El Salvador have banned flights from the U.K. or travelers who have been in the country. Meanwhile, shares of companies that would be hit by stricter lockdown measures fell, including Wynn Resorts and Gap.
The losses came even as lawmakers have reached an agreement on a $900-billion relief package, which would provide direct payments and jobless aid-to struggling Americans. The announcement came after negotiators resolved a key sticking point by rolling back the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending powers.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told the media the stimulus money will go out as soon as next week.
Congress passed a one-day spending bill to avoid a government shutdown that would have started at 12:01 a.m. ET Monday. President Donald Trump signed the measure late Sunday evening, according to White House spokesman Judd Deere.
Lawmakers will vote on the relief and funding bill on Monday.
The major averages hit record highs recently amid optimism toward fresh coronavirus stimulus as well as the vaccine rollout. Moderna is shipping its first batch of vaccine doses after receiving approval for emergence use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Meanwhile, the vaccines by Pfizer and BioNTech are being distributed to front-line health-care workers around the country.
On Friday, the Fed announced it will allow the nation’s big banks to resume share buybacks in the first quarter of 2021 subject to certain rules. JPMorgan shares were up almost 3%.
Prices for the 10-Year Treasury gained ground, lowering yields to 0.93% from Friday’s 0.95%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices sputtered $2.01 to $47.09 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices dulled $4.10 to $1,884.80.
