• Stock trades fell flat as investors take a breather ahead of Nvidia's earnings.

• Frenzy behind the chipmaker has pulled stock indices towards records this week.

• There is a big lineup of Fed speakers on Tuesday, possibly providing insight into monetary policy.

The latest rally in stocks faltered Tuesday morning, with investors stepping back ahead of Nvidia's upcoming earnings report and further communications from Federal Reserve officials.

High expectations for the artificial intelligence tech giant have already catapulted markets to new all-time highs, most recently demonstrated by the Nasdaq 1oo, which breached its closing record on Monday. But trading activity has since slowed. Meanwhile, the Dow is still recouping previous-day losses, triggered by news that JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is eyeing retirement, which weighed on shares of the bank.

Wednesday could bring back momentum after Nvidia's earnings release. The chipmaker is expected to report $25 billion in quarterly sales, a fourfold increase from the revenue it scored in the same quarter last year. The stock is up nearly 3% so far this week.

Among other stock movers, Palo Alto Networks slumped as the cybersecurity firm's current quarter guidance disappointed investors.

"There's nothing significant due out in terms of data, but there are some interesting companies reporting today including Macy's, Lowe's, Urban Outfitters, Autozone and Toll Brothers," Trade Nation senior market analyst David Morrison wrote. "These could help provide insight into the health of the US consumer, and the willingness, or otherwise, to splash the cash."

Tuesday will also be saturated with speakers from the Federal Reserve, whose comments could provide insight into monetary policy. In the lineup are Thomas Barkin, Christopher Waller, John Williams, Raphael Bostic, Susan Collins, and Loretta Mester.

Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Tuesday: 

• S&P 500: 5,301.90, down 0.11%

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: 39,824.55, up 0.02% (+9.57)

• Nasdaq composite: 16,737.79, down 0.35%

Here's what else happened today:

• Broadcom's CEO got awarded $162 million last year - but needs to meet certain criteria to unlock the full package.

• As jewelers warn of high prices, the US may step back planned restrictions on Russia's diamond trade, report says.

• This AI data-center stock has shot past Nvidia 310%, Bank of America says. It's a sign the tech frenzy is broadening.

• Here's how investors can hedge against a market-moving swing triggered by Nvidia's earnings, Bank of America reports.

In commodities, bonds, and crypto: 

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil slumped 2.5% to $77.81 a barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped 1.61% to $82.37 a barrel.

• Gold gained 1.16% to $2,429.09 per ounce.

• The 10-year Treasury yield slipped three basis points to 4.406%.

• Bitcoin was up 5.8% to $70,920.

Read the original article on Business Insider