Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (-0.3%), Nasdaq Composite (-0.5%), and DJIA (-0.2%) are modestly improved from broad-based opening losses this morning. 

Seven S&P 500 sectors trade lower, with the utilities sector (-1.1%) facing the widest loss.

Some profit-taking in Alphabet (GOOG 316.50, -3.62, -1.13%) sends the communication services sector (-0.6%) near the bottom of the leaderboard amid a sluggish start for the mega-caps. 

The information technology sector (-0.5%) is modestly improved from opening lows as headlines of a partnership between NVIDIA (NVDA 177.86, +0.86, +0.49%) and Synopsys (SNPS 436.62, +18.61, +4.45%) send both stocks higher despite broader weakness in the sector. 

Meanwhile, the energy sector (+1.3%) holds a solid gain as the price of oil has increased $1.00 (+1.7%) to $59.55 per barrel. The materials (+0.2%), consumer discretionary (+0.2%), and financials (+0.1%) sectors hold more modest gains. 

The final S&P Global U.S. Manufacturing PMI for November registered at 52.2, from a preliminary reading of 52.5. 

The November ISM Manufacturing Index checked in at 48.2% for November (Briefing.com consensus: 49.0%), down from 48.7% in October.