FICO Shares Plummet; Moderna Stock Rises

Major U.S. equities indexes finished the day mixed as investors worked through the latest developments in the trade policy saga.

After extending the deadline for “Liberation Day” tariffs until Aug. 1, President Donald Trump indicated that the U.S. would impose a 50% duty on copper imports, with copper futures jumping nearly 10%.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, losing ground for a second straight session after reaching an all-time high in advance of the July 4 holiday weekend. The Dow ended 0.4% lower, while the Nasdaq Composite eked out a gain of less than 0.1%. Read Investopedia’s full coverage of today’s trading here.

Shares of Fair Isaac (FICO), the data analytics firm known for its consumer credit scores, ended the day down 8.9%, falling the furthest of any stock in the S&P 500. The decline came after William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said that government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would allow lenders to use the VantageScore 4.0 credit scoring model, a competitor to the FICO credit score. Shares of credit bureaus Equifax (EFX), Experian (EXPGY), and TransUnion (TRU), which operate VantageScore as a joint venture, edged higher.

Trump signed an executive order on Monday aimed at terminating subsidies for wind and solar energy projects, including directives to “build upon and strengthen the repeal” of clean-energy tax credits under the recently passed budget bill. Stocks with exposure to renewable energy were among the weakest performers in the S&P 500 on Tuesday. Shares of solar panel maker First Solar (FSLR) were down 6.5%, while shares of power generator NRG Energy (NRG) lost 4.7%.

Gold prices slipped, with optimism about potential negotiations with major trading partners weighing on the safe-haven asset. An uptick in Treasury yields, which makes the precious metal a less attractive investment by comparison, added to the downward pressure. Shares of Newmont (NEM), the world’s largest gold producer, declined 4.2%.

Several high-profile medical organizations filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alleging that new policies related to COVID-19 vaccines represent a public health threat. Plaintiffs including the American College of Physicians are asking courts to rescind a Kennedy directive that removed the COVID-19 shot from immunization schedules for children and pregnant women. Shares of major vaccine maker Moderna (MRNA) surged 8.8%, topping Tuesday’s S&P 500 leaderboard.

Intel (INTC) shares added 7.2% as a regulatory filing revealed that the semiconductor giant is eliminating more than 500 positions from its facilities in Oregon. The latest layoffs are part of a turnaround plan under new Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who has focused on slashing operating costs since taking the helm in March. Tan’s strategy received a vote of confidence from Citi, which lifted its price target on Intel stock. Analysts highlighted the potential for strong demand across the chip industry, noting that previous expectations of a tariff-driven slowdown have not come to fruition.

Shares of Albemarle (ALB), the world’s largest lithium miner, also jumped 7.2%. Albemarle stock has seen significant volatility in the past month, sinking to a low beneath $60 on June 20 before entering an uptrend that has lifted the shares to their highest level since April. The company has taken measures to reduce costs as it navigates a persistently soft lithium price environment.