US stock markets ended the session in negative territory on Monday, as investors adopted a wait-and-see stance ahead of a pivotal week of earnings reports from technology giants Alphabet, Tesla, and Intel.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both retreated, with selling pressure concentrated in large-cap technology names.
Alphabet led the decline among megacaps, reflecting market anxiety over the company's upcoming financial disclosure.
The broader market resilience was insufficient to offset the risk-off sentiment driving investors away from high-beta tech stocks.
Caution was further amplified by ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising oil prices, which continue to weigh on investor sentiment.
These macro headwinds have created a fragile backdrop for equities, with traders wary of any escalation that could disrupt supply chains or further inflate energy costs.