Stocks slipped from record highs in volatile trading on Friday as lawmakers struggled to bridge differences on additional coronavirus stimulus measures.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 124.32 points, or 0.4%, to 30,179.05. At its session low, the 30-stock benchmark shed more than 270 points. The S&P 500 dipped 0.4%, or 13.07 points, to 3,709.41, snapping a three-day winning streak. The Nasdaq Composite lost 0.1%, or 9.11 points, to 12,755.64. All three indexes touched new intraday highs earlier in the day after closing at records in the previous session.
Leaders on Capitol Hill said they are close to an agreement that would provide $900 billion in additional aid. The talks, which have stretched on for months, are up against the wire, with federal funding lapsing at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Friday that the negotiations “remain productive.” “In fact, I am even more optimistic now than I was last night that a bipartisan, bicameral framework for a major rescue package is very close at hand,” he added.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in the afternoon that the chamber would go into a recess until 5 p.m. while congressional leaders try to get a “clearer picture” of how to move forward. He told representatives to keep Friday night, Saturday and Sunday free.
Last-minute disputes preventing Congress from passing a relief deal include direct payments, small business loans and a boost to unemployment insurance.
As the market closed, Congress was trying to approve a measure to keep the government running for two more days, CNBC confirmed.
Big volume
The stock market experienced massive volume on Friday as Tesla’s historic entry into the S&P 500 will be based on prices at the close. There was a rush of activity into the final bell and the S&P 500 will begin trading with Tesla as a member on Monday.
With a market capitalization of more than $600 billion after a 700% rally this year, the electric carmaker will be joining as the seventh-largest company in the index.
Tesla is being added to the benchmark in one fell swoop, marking the largest rebalancing of the S&P 500 in history. It’s estimated that passive funds tracking the S&P 500 needed to buy more than $85 billion of Tesla, while selling $85 billion of the rest of the index to make room for it.
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