US equity markets retreated, extending losses in the afternoon session as a slew of economic data failed to alter expectations for further aggressive monetary policy tightening - Dow fell -173-points or -0.56%, The broader S&P500 lost -1.13% but held just above >3,900, with Energy (down -2.54%), Utilities (-2.53%), Information Technology (-2.37%) and Real Estate (-2.24%) all declining over >2% to lead nine of the eleven primary sectors lower. The Biden administration helped broker a tentative deal with unions to avert a strike, thereby avoiding a rail shutdown which would add to supply-chain pressures at the core of hot inflation. Union Pacific Corp added +0.19%. The Nasdaq shed -1.42%, with Amazon.com Inc (down -1.77%), Apple Inc (-1.89%), and Microsoft Corp (-2.71%) notable drags on the technology centric index. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.72%.