To kick off the week, the Dow pulled back from Friday's record highs, falling around 106 points as concerns surrounding global economic growth and rising Covid-19 cases weighed on investor sentiment. Unsurprisingly, reopening stocks took a hit today, especially Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH), following a ruling from a federal judge allowing the company to require proof of vaccination from passengers. The S&P 500 closed just below breakeven, erasing some of its earlier losses as investors mulled over a 5,000 price target for the index initiated by Credit Suisse. A record-setting jump in U.S. jobs openings was largely overlooked, though the Nasdaq notched a modest win, buoyed by a fresh upgrade for Tesla (TSLA). 

The Dow Jones Average (DJI - 35,101.85) fell 106.7 points or 0.3% for the day. Of the 30 Dow components, Walgreen Boots Alliance (WBA) topped the list of winners today, adding 0.7%, while Chevron (CVX) paced the laggards with a 1.7% dip.

The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 4,432.35) lost 4.2 points or 0.09% for the day. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC - 14,860.18) added 24.4 points, or 0.2%, for the day.

Lastly, the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX - 16.72) gained 0.6 points or 3.5%, for the day.

GOLD SKIDS TO FOUR-MONTH LOWS 

Building on last week's losses, oil prices kicked the week off with a dip, dropping to their lowest level since March. Once again, rising Covid-19 cases stoked investors' fears of slowing demand, as did lackluster exporting data out of China -- the world's second-largest oil consumer. In response, September-dated crude fell $2.84, or 4.2%, to settle at $65.43 a barrel for the day.

Gold prices fell as well, hitting their lowest level in more than four months on a strengthening U.S. dollar, which was bolstered by strong U.S. jobs data. December-dated gold, the most active contract, shed $36.60, or 2.1%, to settle at $1,726.50 an ounce today.