Early morning optimism for the Dow was short-lived, as the index was dragged into the red by heavyweights Nike (NKE) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). On the flip side, the Nasdaq snapped a four-day losing streak and enjoyed its best daily percentage pop since late July, while the S&P 500 posted a modest gain of its own.

GOLD SECURES ANOTHER WIN

Brushing off several days of wins, crude prices backpedaled due to demand worries. September-dated oil fell 53 cents, or 0.7%, to settle at $80.72 per barrel.

With a continued rise in bond yields, gold scored another session win following a slew of losses. December-dated gold added $6.50, or roughly 0.3%, to settle at $1,923 an ounce.

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