US equity markets opened in a narrow range on Monday, with the number of advancing and declining stocks roughly balanced.
The session is defined by a sharp divergence between sectors: selling pressure in artificial intelligence-related names is being offset by gains in defensive consumer staples, led by Coca-Cola.
The sell-off in AI-exposed equities continues to weigh on major indices, reversing the momentum that had driven Wall Street higher in recent sessions.
Investors are rotating capital away from high-multiple semiconductor and technology stocks that dominated returns earlier in the year.
This broadening rotation suggests a shift in risk appetite, with traders seeking safety in established dividend payers amid uncertainty over the sustainability of the AI investment cycle.
Coca-Cola’s share price rise provided a counterweight to the tech-led weakness, helping to stabilize the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.