Stocks dropped Tuesday as a relief rally proved short-lived and investor anxiety returned ahead of President Donald Trump's next tariff deadline that will see a cumulative tariff of 104% slapped on China just after midnight.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 320.01 points, or 0.84%, and closed at 37,645.59, bringing its four-day loss on tariff angst to more than 4,500 points. Apple led the losses with the iPhone maker's costs set to surge with new China tariffs. At its high of the day, the Dow was up 3.9%.
The S&P 500 declined 1.57% to end at 4,982.77. The index was inches away from closing in a bear market, down nearly 19% from its February record, and it ended the session below 5,000 for the first time since April 2024. Over the past four days, the S&P 500 has fallen more than 12%.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.15%, ending at 15,267.91. The tech-heavy benchmark rose as much as 4.5% earlier in the day. The Nasdaq has lost more than 13% in the four-day rout.
Stocks began the day higher with traders citing an oversold market as reason for the bounce. Investors were also encouraged by signs the U.S. would negotiate arrangements that would lower tariffs on major trading partners.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday that he had a "great call" with the acting president of South Korea, helping to boost sentiment. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also told CNBC on Tuesday that around 70 countries had approached the U.S. for tariff negotiations.
But, the market rally evaporated anyway, with shares such as Apple leading the rollover. Apple shares closed nearly 5% lower after having risen more than 4% earlier Tuesday. The iPhone maker has lost nearly 23% over the past four trading sessions.
New tariffs are set to kick in just after midnight on top of the 10% baseline duty already implemented on Saturday. The White House confirmed a cumulative 104% tariff rate will be implemented on Chinese goods overnight.
Investors will need to see more stability in trade policy for any market bounce to have legs, according to Robert Ruggirello, chief investment officer at Brave Eagle Wealth Management.
"There has to be some staying power, something [where] corporations can make longer-term capital allocation decisions. They have to have confidence in a consistent policy," said Ruggirello.
Tuesday marks a fourth session of market volatility since the rollout of Trump's tariffs.