U.S. stocks finished a volatile session in negative territory, as investors failed to nudge equity benchmarks to a second straight gain.

Stocks had been rising throughout the session amid continued signs of the slowing spread of COVID-19 across the globe but upward momentum ultimately evaporated.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down about 26 points, or 0.1%, at 22,654, but had been up by as many as 937 points at 23,617; the S&P 500 index finished down 4 points, or 0.2%, at 2,659, but had been up 93.21 points the peak on Tuesday and the Nasdaq Composite Index ended the session down 26 points, or 0.3%, at 7,887, but had been 2.9% higher at Tuesday's apex.

Markets are wrestling with the outlook for the economy and wondering how earnings and the economy that might be impacted when the virus fades.

Earlier in the session, markets were upbeat after New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said midday Tuesday, at a news conference, that daily hospitalizations were plateauing in the state, even as he noted that the more-volatile pace of deaths higher. So far, nearly 5,500 people have died from the virus in the state.

Source : Market Watch