Stocks end down as Russia-Ukraine tensions heat up

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Stocks finished slightly lower on Monday after bouncing back from a steep late-afternoon selloff, as heightened geopolitical tensions over Ukraine fueled another day of choppy trading.

The Dow finished half a percent lower and the S&P 500 lost about a third of a percent, while the Nasdaq flirted with positive territory at the end of the Valentine's Day session, but ultimately finished flat.

Adam Coons, a portfolio manager at Winthrop Capital Management, said Monday's whipsaw session reflected uncertainty around everything from possible conflict in Europe to what the Federal Reserve might do to fight inflation.

"Today, markets are trying to kind of find their footing. We've got a lot of information over the past week or so with employment data, CPI and then now obviously some issues in Russia. So, a lot of things are hitting the market for them to digest. So, we're seeing interest rates up quite a bit today. And then obviously stocks are mixed after a down session on Friday. So, largely we're seeing markets try to find, like I said, their footing and ultimately figure out where to go next."

Coons added that he expected stocks to shrug off any geopolitical turmoil in the near term, while negotiators continue to look for a diplomatic solution, as Russia amasses troops along the Ukrainian border.

Here in the U.S., shares of Pfizer fell almost 2 percent, joining other vaccine makers in the red, as fears over the health crisis appeared to be waning. Moderna sank more than 11.5% percent and shares of Novavax, which on Monday submitted an application to a Swiss regulator for approval of its coronavirus vaccine, dropped almost 11.5%.

Tesla's stock rose after China's auto industry authorities announced the electric car maker sold nearly 60,000 Chinese-made vehicles in January.

Other megacap growth stocks advanced on Monday, including Nvidia, which is set to post results later this week, as the fourth-quarter earnings season approaches the home stretch.