By Mucahithan Avcioglu
ISTANBUL (AA) - US stocks ended with a mixed course Wednesday amid geopolitical risks stemming from US President Donald Trump's statements about Greenland.
The Dow was down 0.94%, or 466 points, to close at 48,996.08, and the S&P 500 fell 0.34%, or 23.87 points, to 6,920.95.
On the other hand, the Nasdaq rose 0.16%, or 37.10 points, to 23,584.28.
The Volatility Index (VIX), also known as the "fear index," rose 4.27% to 15.38.
Geopolitical uncertainty dominated the markets after US President Trump argued that Russia and China were increasing their presence in strategically important Greenland.
"We need Greenland, from the standpoint of national security," Trump said Sunday.
And the White House announced that the Trump administration was considering options to acquire Greenland, including using the US military.
Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US needs to control Venezuela's oil sales to bring the changes Washington wants to see in that country, and it will "indefinitely" sell Venezuelan oil.
Defense stocks pulled back after Trump warned American defense contractors that dividends, stock buybacks and high executive compensation will be blocked until weapons production and maintenance significantly improve.
He demanded that defense firms invest in infrastructure, stating on his Truth Social platform that, "From this moment forward, these Executives must build NEW and MODERN Production Plants, both for delivering and maintaining this important Equipment, and for building the latest Models of future Military Equipment."
Shares of General Dynamics fell 3.3% after Trump's warning, Lockheed Martin dropped 4.7%, RTX decreased 2.3% and Northrop Grumman was off 5%.
Alphabet's shares climbed more than 2.5%, as the firm's market cap surpassed Apple's for the first time since 2019, reaching $3.88 trillion.
On the data side, US new durable goods orders declined 1.3% in October from the previous month, more than the market expectations.
Job openings hit 7.1 million in November, below expectations, according to the Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) figures.
US private payrolls increased 41,000 in December, rebounding from the previous month, but less than forecasts, according to ADP.