Major US indices close the day lower. For the month, major indices close down.

The major US indices are closing lower on the day as end of day selling pushes the indices toward their session lows.

The declines are being led by the Dow 30 which fell around -0.70%. The Nasdaq was trading marginally higher going into the close, but end of day selling pushed the index into negative territory. The S&P index closed between those extremes

The snapshot of the close is showing:

• Dow Industrial Average fell -234.11 point or -0.71% at 32654.92
• S&P index fell -12.55 points or -0.32% at 3969.68
• NASDAQ index fell -11.43 points or -0.10% at 11455.55
• Russell 2000 squeaked out a small gain of 0.72 points or +0.04% that 1896.98

For the trading month, the Dow led the declines. Today, the low for the month was reached at 32636.43 before rising modestly into the close. The Dow is now negative on the year (closed the year 33147.26). It also closed the month below it's 100 day moving average at 32995.20

Below are the end of month changes:

• Dow Industrial Average fell by -4.19%
• S&P index fell by -2.61%
• NASDAQ NASDAQ The Nasdaq Stock Market or NASDAQ is an American stock exchange. It trails only the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in market capitalization and is part of a network of stock markets and options exchanges.Launched back in 1971, NASDAQ is the acronym for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. Since then it is known simply as NASDAQ and has become one of the most influential exchanges worldwide.The NASDAQ was the world’s first electronic stock market, and has since ass The Nasdaq Stock Market or NASDAQ is an American stock exchange. It trails only the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in market capitalization and is part of a network of stock markets and options exchanges.Launched back in 1971, NASDAQ is the acronym for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. Since then it is known simply as NASDAQ and has become one of the most influential exchanges worldwide.The NASDAQ was the world’s first electronic stock market, and has since ass Read this Term index fell by -1.11%
• Russell 2000 fell by -1.81%

The S&P index tested 200 day moving average Moving average A moving average is a statistical tool that is used to smooth out short-term fluctuations in data and reveal longer-term trends. It is calculated by taking the average of a certain number of data points over a specific period of time, and then plotting that average as a line on a chart. The most common types of moving averages are simple moving averages (SMA) and exponential moving averages (EMA).In financial markets, moving averages are often used to analyze stock prices, exchange rates, and ot A moving average is a statistical tool that is used to smooth out short-term fluctuations in data and reveal longer-term trends. It is calculated by taking the average of a certain number of data points over a specific period of time, and then plotting that average as a line on a chart. The most common types of moving averages are simple moving averages (SMA) and exponential moving averages (EMA).In financial markets, moving averages are often used to analyze stock prices, exchange rates, and ot Read this Term on Friday but bounced higher (green line in the chart below). That moving average comes in at 3940.20. Going into the new trading month move below that 200 moving average and the lower 100 day moving average at 3919.32 would tilt the bias back to the downside for the broader S&P index.

The S&P index closed 2021 at 3839.49.