The S&P 500 index futures started Monday on a somewhat bullish note, but by the afternoon it was clear the bears would have the day.

Overnight action began at the lows before bulls slowly built bids. By the time they were in the green, an early morning Trump post about serious US discussions to end Iran military operations helped trigger a quick pop to a high of 6481.75, which was quickly sold off. By the regular session open, bulls tried to approach that high but bears had other plans. Sellers hammered bids nearly 50 handles lower within the first half hour after the bell. Support held near Friday’s close through the morning and it looked as though bulls would defend that level and push further into the green. However, once lunch ended, bears returned and broke through that support. 

Bulls attempted a stand near the psychological 6400 level in the afternoon, but selling pressure was too much. As the close neared, bears inched past the overnight low to print a new low of 6359.50. Bulls then picked up the dip with a small rally in the final half hour. The session closed in the lower half of the day’s range at 6388.25, down 24 handles.

Tuesday brings minor macro data and fedspeak after the open, along with a handful of earnings reports in premarket and after hours.

Among the top components of the index, Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: META) stood out as the biggest gainer, climbing $10.66 or 2.03% to close at $536.38.

That performance was over two percent better than the cash index’s 0.33% decline.

On the other hand, Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ: AVGO) was the biggest loser, falling $7.27 or 2.42% to close at $293.41.