Stocks are lower in afternoon trading on Wall Street Tuesday, as investors debate whether the lifting of lockdowns around the world will drive an economic rebound or just more coronavirus infections.
U.S. indexes spent much of the day flipping between small gains and losses before turning lower in the early afternoon. The S&P 500 was down 0.6%, as of 2:30 p.m.
Eastern time, and Treasury yields were also lower in a sign of increased caution following mixed performances in European and Asian stock markets.
Governments around the world and in many U.S. states have begun gradually lifting restrictions on businesses, which were meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak but also caused a severe recession.