LONDON: U.S. stocks closed lower after a choppy session Tuesday as investors digested a mixed bag of quarterly results and an upbeat report on home construction in July.
The S&P 500 SPX, -0.26% declined 5.52 points, or 0.3%, to close at 2,096.92. Nine of the broad index’s 10 main sectors posted modest losses, with the only the consumer discretionary sector managing to gain ground.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.19% fell 33.84 points, or 0.2%, to close at 17,498.28, dragged lower by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT, -3.38% while Home Depot Inc. HD, +2.59% led Dow gainers. The finish snapped a three-day streak of gains for the blue-chip index.
Shares of Wal-Mart dropped 3.4% after the retailer lowered its full-year earnings outlook and posted profit below analyst forecast.
Home Depot shares rose 2.6% after the home-improvement store lifted its outlook again following better-than-expected sales growth.
Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, -0.64% dropped 32.35 points, or 0.7%, to finish at 5,059.35.
On Tuesday, a report showing construction of new U.S. homes rose in July at the fastest pace since before the Great Recession came a day after a stronger-than-expected report on home-builder confidence, suggesting the housing market continues to gain strength.




