US Stock Market Closing Bell: Dow nosedives 451 pts, S&P retreats from record high; Walmart adds to investor woes

US Stock Market Today, Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq: Wall Street benchmarks heavy losses on Thursday, with the S&P 500 retreating after two back-to-back days of record highs, as investors remained cautions due to concerns about an imminent global trade war. Lower-than-expected top- and bottom-line forecasts from Walmart Inc, the world’s largest retailer, also battered investor sentiment. The guidance from Walmart, whose shares nosedived 6.5 per cent for the day, also raised questions about the overall growth and business environment in the world’s largest economy. US President Donald Trump’s policy moves, especially on the trade tariffs front, since taking office as 47th President of the United States about a month ago has kept investors on the back foot, say analysts.

US Stock Market on February 20 | Here is how Dow Jones, S&P 500 & Nasdaq fared at the closing bell

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: down 450.9 points, or 1.0 per cent, at 44,176.7
• S&P 500: down 26.6 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 6,117.5
• Nasdaq Composite: down 93.9 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 19,962.4

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What hurt the US share market & what helped it?

Selling pressure in financial, consumption and industrial stocks weighed on main US blue-chip barometers Dow and S&P 500, though buying interest in energy and real estate shares lent some support.

Walmart shares plummeted after the retailing giant’s revenue and profit forecasts for the current financial year fell short of market expectations. The stock settled at $97.2 apiece after sinking to as low as $96.7 apiece during the session.

Top Dow Gainers vs Losers Today

As many as 17 Dow stocks closed in negative territory.

Now, let's take a look at the US technology pack.

Top Nasdaq Gainers vs Losers

Here’s how some of the prominent names fared in the technology stocks-heavy Nasdaq basket:

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With inputs from agencies