(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, clickLIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window.) * SEC investigating NYSE opening bell glitch * 3M slides on downbeat Q1 forecast * J&J falls on sales warning; GE down on weak profit view * Microsoft quarterly results expected shortly (Updates to market close) By Stephen Culp NEW YORK, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 ended slightly lower Tuesday at the close of a rocky session marked by a raft of mixed earnings and a technical malfunction at the opening bell. A spate of NYSE-listed stocks were halted at the top of the session due to an apparent technical malfunction, which caused initial price confusion and prompted an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). More than 80 stocks were affected by the glitch, which caused wide swings in opening prices in dozens of stocks, including Walmart IncWMT.N and Nike IncNKE.N . "Everybody’s having computer problems, first the airlines and now it’s the NYSE," said Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist Ingalls & Snyder in New York. "Seems like it was quickly corrected." "Some of the prints were clearly bad," Ghriskey added. "It was a surprise. Unexpected." All three indexes sputtered near the starting line for much of the session, showing little apparent momentum in either direction. Fourth quarter earnings season is in full swing, with 72 of the companies in the S&P 500 having reported. Of those, 65% have beaten consensus, just a hair below the 66% long-term average, according to Refinitiv. On aggregate, analysts now expect S&P 500 earnings 2.9% below the year-ago quarter, down from the 1.6% year-on-year decline seen on Jan. 1, per Refinitiv. "The Fed will take apart earnings reports and look at how the economy is doing, given the rate hikes and other issues out there," Ghriskey said. "We’re getting closer to that point where the Fed sees enough progress in the inflation fight to stop the (interest) rate hikes and that’s why the markets have reacted positively lately." Economic data showed shallower-than-expected contraction in the manufacturing and services sector in the first weeks of the year, suggesting that the Federal Reserve's restrictive interest rates are dampening demand. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500.SPX lost 2.94 points, or 0.07%, to end at 4,016.87 points, while the Nasdaq Composite.IXIC lost 29.95 points, or 0.26%, to 11,334.47. The Dow Jones Industrial Average.DJI rose 102.53 points, or 0.30%, to 33,732.09. Intercontinental Exchange IncICE.N , owner of the New York Stock Exchange, dropped as SEC investigators searched for the cause of Tuesday's opening bell confusion. Alphabet IncGOOGL.O shares dipped after the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Google for abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business. Johnson & Johnson'sJNJ.N profit guidance came in above analyst expectations. Industrial conglomerates 3M CoMMM.N and General Electric CoGE.N both provided underwhelming forward guidance due to inflationary headwinds. 3M's shares lost ground, while General Electric posted modest gains. Aerospace/defense companies Lockheed Martin CorpLMT.N and Raytheon Technologies CorpRTX.N were a study in contrasts, with the former issuing a disappointing profit forecast and the latter beating estimates on solid travel demand. Shares of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon advanced on the day. Railroad operator Union Pacific CorpUPN.N missed profit estimates as labor shortages and severe weather delayed shipments. (Reporting by Stephen Culp; Additional reporting by Shreyashi Sanyal and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Aurora Ellis) ((stephen.culp@thomsonreuters.com; 646-223-6076;))

Warning: This material has been prepared by a third party company, Reuters, which is independent of Davy. Davy has not reviewed the material and accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for the information or opinions contained therein. It does not constitute investment advice.
Warning: This content may be provided by regulated and unregulated entities and is not created, reviewed or endorsed by Davy. It is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or solicitation to purchase or sell any security or make any other type of investment or investment decision. Importantly, it does not constitute investment advice, as it does not contemplate the personal circumstances of any particular person or group of persons. Neither Davy nor the providers of the Third Party Content will be liable for any investment decision made based on the reliance on or use of such data, or any liability that may arise due to delays or interruptions in the delivery of the Third Party Content for any reason.
Latest News

ReutersFOREX-Dollar gains as central banks take central stage
ReutersUPDATE 9-Oil falls 2% as rate hikes loom and Russian flows stay strong
ReutersUS STOCKS-Tech, megacaps drag Wall St lower at start of big market week
ReutersPRECIOUS-Gold treads water as spotlight shifts to U.S. Fed meeting
ReutersUS STOCKS-Nasdaq falls as megacaps drop ahead of earnings, Fed meet in focus
ReutersUPDATE 2-FTSE 100 gains ahead of central bank meetings, Unilever up on new CEO
ReutersUPDATE 2-Europe stocks slip as hot Spanish inflation data fans rate hike concerns
ReutersUS STOCKS-Nasdaq falls as megacaps drop ahead of earnings, Fed meet in focus
ReutersFOREX-Dollar steady as central banks take central stage
ReutersUS STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Wall Street opens lower ahead of Fed rate decision