US open: Stocks mixed amid heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine

Wall Street stocks were mixed early on Tuesday as investors returned from a break in observance of George Washington's birthday to an escalation in tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

As of 1525 GMT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.36% at 33,955.53, while the S&P 500 was 0.07% firmer at 4,352.07 and the Nasdaq Composite came out the gate 0.22% stronger at 13,577.71.

The Dow opened 123.65 points lower on Tuesday, reversing gains recorded in the previous session.

The mood turned sour after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would recognise the independence of two breakaway regions in Ukraine, potentially undercutting peace talks with US President Joe Biden. Putin later ordered forces into the two regions. The announcement was then followed by news that the White House will impose sanctions on separatist regions of Ukraine, with the European Union also vowing to take further measures.

Biden has accepted to meet with Putin "in principle" as part of his administration's efforts to deescalate the Russia-Ukraine situation. The meeting will occur after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov speak.

On the macro front, the US housing index increased to 367.20 in December from 362.80 points in November and was up 17.5% year-on-year for the fourth quarter, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Elsewhere, the IHS Markit US manufacturing PMI increased to 57.5 in February from 55.5 in January, beating forecasts of 56, according to preliminary estimates, as production rose at a quicker rate but was hampered by supply-chain disruptions and labour raw material shortage.

Finally, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index fell slightly in February, following a decrease in January, to now stand at 110.5, down from 111.1 in January.

In the corporate space, Home Depot beat sales estimates in its fiscal fourth-quarter and predicted that it will see further growth in 2022, while Macy's fourth-quarter earnings topped estimates as the retailer said sales outpaced expectations and a strategic review of its operations led it to accelerate its turnaround plans.

Still to come, Toll Brothers, Coca-Cola, Paramount and Virgin Galactic will all report earnings after the close.

Dow Jones - Risers

Salesforce.Com Inc. (CRM) $199.51 1.36%
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $193.78 0.95%
McDonald's Corp. (MCD) $252.68 0.83%
Visa Inc. (V) $223.99 0.58%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $289.54 0.56%
JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $152.89 0.49%
International Business Machines Corporation (CDI) (IBM) $124.90 0.44%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $347.45 0.41%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $221.63 0.39%
Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $171.13 0.29%

Dow Jones - Fallers

Home Depot Inc. (HD) $327.88 -5.47%
Boeing Co. (BA) $203.85 -2.48%
Nike Inc. (NKE) $140.47 -1.73%
Apple Inc. (AAPL) $165.44 -1.11%
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $149.70 -1.10%
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $61.99 -0.89%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $56.71 -0.88%
Walmart Inc. (WMT) $137.26 -0.53%
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $159.21 -0.43%
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $76.09 -0.37%

S&P 500 - Risers

Macy's Inc. (M) $27.97 8.83%
Medtronic Plc (MDT) $103.88 3.28%
Albemarle Corp. (ALB) $196.73 3.13%
CF Industries Holdings Inc. (CF) $75.55 3.11%
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) $117.31 3.06%
Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $93.12 2.56%
Texas Instruments Inc (TXN) $170.59 2.31%
Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc (ZBH) $123.80 2.30%
Centerpoint Energy Inc. (CNP) $27.18 2.16%
Fluor Corp. (FLR) $21.52 2.11%

S&P 500 - Fallers

Home Depot Inc. (HD) $327.88 -5.47%
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $89.30 -4.13%
Expeditors International Of Washington Inc. (EXPD) $103.00 -3.03%
Linde Plc (LIN) $293.93 -2.95%
Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY) $94.94 -2.83%
Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) $108.65 -2.65%
Boeing Co. (BA) $203.85 -2.48%
Ford Motor Co. (F) $17.60 -2.41%
Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) $43.47 -2.29%
TripAdvisor Inc. (TRIP) $27.33 -2.29%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers

Workday, Inc. (WDAY) $222.01 3.52%
Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $93.12 2.56%
Texas Instruments Inc (TXN) $170.59 2.31%
Align Technology Inc. (ALGN) $508.76 2.03%
Intuit Inc. (INTU) $490.16 1.86%
eBay Inc. (EBAY) $56.43 1.75%
Synopsys Inc. (SNPS) $292.30 1.62%
Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) $285.14 1.55%
Idexx Laboratories Inc. (IDXX) $496.70 1.48%
Kraft Heinz Co. (KHC) $39.01 1.42%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers

NetEase Inc. Ads (NTES) $93.25 -5.35%
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $89.30 -4.13%
Trip.com Group Limited (TCOM) $27.51 -3.71%
Baidu Inc. (BIDU) $152.79 -3.13%
Tesla Inc (TSLA) $841.00 -1.86%
JD.com, Inc. (JD) $70.56 -1.81%
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (CHKP) $128.53 -1.73%
Mercadolibre Inc. (MELI) $922.56 -1.57%
Western Digital Corp. (WDC) $54.71 -1.49%
Qurate Retail Inc. (QRTEA) $6.43 -1.45%