Investors, hit with another wave of uncertainty on Thursday following President Donald Trump's decision to call off a summit with North Korea, sold off U.S. equities as expectations for a market turnaround waned going into the holiday weekend. The summit, scheduled for June 12, was seen as a means to ease tensions between the countries and bring more stability to the Korean Peninsula. (See also: 5 Stocks to Outperform in 2018’s Volatile Market.)

On Thursday, the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Dow Jones Indus꧅trial Average (DJIA) Index was hard hit on the news, which broke just 30 minutes before the market open, driving the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:blue-chip index down nearly 300 points before recouping some of its losses later in the afternoon. The Dow closed down 0.3% on Thursday, while the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:S&P 500 fell about 0.2% and the Nasdaq declined less than 0.1%.

Geopolitical uncertainty has been a major factor behind a surge of volatility in the market in 2018, bringing an abrupt end to the nine-year bull market on a handful of factors including fears of inflation, rising interest rates and a threat of a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:trade war. Both the Dow and the ꦬS&P 500 are slipping on Friday morning, while the Nasdaq is up 0.2%. The Wall Street Journal, citing money managers, indicated that exไpectations for a recovery in equities on Friday are low, since trading volumes tend to be light ahead of a holiday weekend. 

Uncertainty Drags on Exxon, Chevron 

The energy segment was the hardest hit on Thursday's North Korea news, falling 1.7%, mounting earlier losses attributed to a drop in oil prices. U.S. crude for July delivery fell 1.6%, or $1.13 per barrel, to $70.71. Shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (XOM) fell 2.3% to $80.27, while Chevron Co. (CVX) sank 1.6% to $126.61. (See also: Buy These Energy Stocks on Crude Oil Price Surge.)

Also this week, worries of trade tensions jumped on news from the U.S. 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Commerce Department that the Trump administration was weighing new tariffs on vehicles and auto parts imports. Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), Honda Motor Co. (HMC) 🍨and Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY) all saw their sha🐲res fall on the news. 

Bright spots amid a broad slump for most of S&P 500 sectors include lower-risk, higher-dividend stocks in ut🐈ilities and telecommunications.