US equity markets edged higher after a choppy session, lifted by a defensive sectors and a rebound for technology stocks and as the latest political theatre unfolded in Washington - Dow dipped -8-points or -0.03%. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) dipped -0.15% after the New York Times reported that the company unlikely to distribute as many COVID-19 vaccine doses in the spring as previously expected. Separately, the New England Journal of Medicine published trial data that showed Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose coronavirus vaccine is safe and appears to generate a promising immune response in both young and elderly volunteers. The broader S&P500 rose +0.23%, with Utilities (up +1.94%) and Real Estate (+1.39%) leading seven of the eleven primary sectors higher. Materials (down -1.06%), Industrials (-0.86%) and Energy (-0.81%) were the notable underperformers. Chipmaker Intel Corp gained +6.97% after it was announced that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Swan would step down effective 15 February, with VMWare Inc (down -6.79%) CEO Pat Gelsinger to step into the role. The Nasdaq gained +0.44%, with Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Netflix Inc and Microsoft Corp advancing +1.62%, +1.44%, +2.74% and +0.66%, respectively. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 index fell -0.75% a day after hitting a fresh record closing high.