Stocks have shown a lack of direction over the course of morning trading on Tuesday, with the major averages unable to sustain any significant moves after moving sharply higher in the previous session to end the day at yearly closing highs.
The choppy trading comes as traders digest some mixed economic data, with a report from the Commerce Department showing a much bigger than expected increase in factory orders, while a report from the National Association of Realtors showed a steep drop in pending home sales.
Despite the lackluster performance by the broader markets, significant strength has emerged among airline stocks following a better than expected December revenue report from Continental Airlines (CAL). The NYSE Arca Airline Index is currently posting a 4.1 percent gain.
While considerable strength is also visible among electronic storage, gold, and oil service stocks, notable weakness has emerged in the trucking, real estate, and utilities sectors.
The major averages are currently turning in a mixed performance, with the S&P 500 posting a modest gain. The S&P 500 is currently up 0.90 at 1,133.89, while the Dow is down 26.00 at 10,557.96 and the S&P 500 is down 0.93 at 2,307.49.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.