Tuesday’s S&P 500 index futures session brought a round of intense selling pressure, marking a cautious tone as traders weighed mixed earnings.

Overnight action was choppy, with index futures reaching a high of 6,884 before slipping to a low of 6,786. The regular session began under pressure, opening just below 6,880, and quickly testing lower levels as sellers took control through the morning.

Momentum faded into midday with brief recovery attempts meeting firm resistance near the 6,850 zone. Despite a few intraday bounces, buying interest failed to sustain, and futures drifted steadily lower into the close.

By the end of the session, S&P 500 index futures settled at 6,801, down 81 handles or 1.18%, finishing below the day’s midpoint and closer to the session low. Volume stayed elevated as institutions adjusted positions ahead of Wednesday’s ADP employment report and ISM Services data.

While buyers showed flashes of strength, the inability to reclaim the 6,850 handle signaled lingering caution. With the contract now down roughly 1.8% over the past five days, traders will be watching closely for follow-through selling or a potential pivot back toward the 6,900 resistance zone later in the week.

Wednesday brings a wave of earnings reports in both the morning and afternoon.

Among the top components of the index, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B) led as the biggest gainer. The stock advanced $11.99 or 2.52% to close at $487.66 for the day. 

That performance was roughly twice as strong as the cash index’s 1.18% decline.

The biggest loser ended up being Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA). For the day, the EV maker declined $24.11 or 5.15% to close at $444.26.