U.S. equities retreated on Tuesday as the fourth-quarter earnings season commenced with disappointing results from a major banking institution, overshadowed by ongoing policy debates and fresh inflation data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 398.21 points, or 0.8 percent, to 49,191.99. The Standard and Poor's 500 fell 13.53 points, or 0.19 percent, to 6,963.74, and the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 24.03 points, or 0.1 percent, to 23,709.87.
The financial sector led the session's decline. JPMorgan Chase, the nation's largest lender, reported quarterly earnings that fell short of expectations, impacted by a 2.2 billion U.S. dollar hit related to its Apple Card partnership. Shares of JPMorgan plummeted 4.19 percent, while Goldman Sachs followed with a 1.2 percent decline.
The banking industry's performance faced further pressure from continued scrutiny of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent. JPMorgan CFO Jeremy Barnum signaled potential industry resistance to the plan, which was put forward late last week.
Conversely, the energy and consumer staples sectors bucked the downward trend, gaining 1.53 percent and 1.08 percent, respectively. Seven of the 11 primary Standard and Poor's 500 sectors ended the day in positive territory despite the losses in the major indices.
On the economic front, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index report showed that inflation in the United States remained steady in December 2025. The headline annual rate remained at 2.7 percent, while core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose 2.6 percent over the previous year. This core figure represents the lowest annual increase since early 2021.
According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the steady inflation and cooling labor market have led traders to expect the Federal Reserve to maintain interest rates at its upcoming meeting at the end of January, with the first of two projected rate cuts anticipated in June.
U.S. stocks close lower as earnings season kicks off
Residents living in Canada's biggest city of Toronto have expressed optimism that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China can unlock new economic opportunities, particularly in key fields such as artificial intelligence and infrastructure.
Carney is set to arrive in China on Wednesday to begin a four-day visit at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, marking the first trip by a Canadian prime minister to China since 2017.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Carney during his stay to provide new strategic guidance for further improving and developing China-Canada relations.
Giving their assessment of the significance of the visit and the outcomes they hope to see achieved, local people in Toronto pointed to the importance of deepening cooperation and view the high-tech sector as one of the most pivotal areas where ties can be enhanced.
"I think, of course, China is probably the leader in AI and new technologies. So, I think Canada can really benefit from Chinese expertise on some of the chip manufacturing or just the use of AI in the medical field, in every other finance field and everything. So, I think this can be very important for Canada to learn from China," said Raman, the provincial liaison manager at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
"I think it is a good idea to strengthen relations with other countries and other trade partners that have been probably more consistent. And especially with things going on in electronics right now and chip manufacturing, I do think that it makes sense at this point in time to be reaching out to China," said Jen, a local nurse.
Some see Carney's visit as an opportunity to broaden the economic agenda in various other key areas.
"I'm actually pretty looking forward to it because they could talk a lot about trade. That could be a good opportunity for Canada and China to explore some other export opportunities on energy, and also, maybe pipeline building, infrastructure building, and also, real estate investment and agriculture," said Xiong Lulu, an equity research analyst.
Looking ahead, many residents emphasize that much depends on whether Carney's visit can translate into concrete agreements.
"It would be nice. I hope there's some kind of good relationship between China and Canada. That would be like a great opportunity that we would miss if we didn't create that relationship with them. So, hopefully, in hindsight, [in] 2026 it does happen," said John, a software developer.
"I think if they can settle some trade deals, that will be great. So, I think it will be great for the Canadian economy," said Xiong.
President Xi and Carney last met on the sidelines of the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in October, with both sides agreeing to resume exchanges and cooperation in various fields and jointly advance the development of the China-Canada strategic partnership.
Toronto residents optimistic about Canada-China cooperation prospects
