Energy companies led U.S. stocks modestly lower Tuesday, erasing the small gains the market made a day earlier.
The biggest drop in crude oil prices since October weighed on oil producers and other energy stocks. Disappointing results or outlooks from retailers and other companies also weighed on the market.
Utilities and consumer-focused companies like packaged-food- and beverage-makers and restaurant chains, bucked the trend.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 5.97 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,578.87. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 30.23 points, or 0.1 percent, to 23,409.47. The Nasdaq composite slid 19.72 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,737.87. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks gave up 3.81 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,471.26.
Investors had their eye on Washington, D.C., where the House is expected to vote on its version of a major tax bill this week. Expectations that the tax overhaul will sharply lower corporate taxes have helped lift the market higher this year.
"We're through earnings season, which was pretty good, with earnings up about 10 percent," said Stuart Freeman, co-head of global equity strategy for Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "Now investors are waiting and watching to see what shape this tax reduction bill is going to take."
The steep drop in crude oil prices weighed on oil exploration companies and other energy sector stocks.
Newfield Exploration Co. was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500, tumbling $2.27, or 7.1 percent, to $29.82. Range Resources Corp. lost $1.23, or 6.6 percent, to $17.35.
Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.06, or 1.9 percent, to settle at $55.70 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That's the biggest single-day decline since October. Brent crude, used to price international oils, declined 95 cents, or 1.5 percent, to close at $62.21 a barrel in London.
The market's spotlight is on retailers this week, with many of the companies reporting quarterly results over the next few days, including Target Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Best Buy Co. Inc.
On Tuesday, The Home Depot Inc. turned in better-than-expected results and raised its outlook for the year. Shares in the home-improvement retailer rose $2.71, or 1.6 percent, to $168.06.
Other big retailers failed to impress traders.
TJX Cos., the parent company of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, fell 4 percent after it reported revenue and earnings that missed analysts' estimates. Its shares lost $2.82 to $67.94.
Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. slid 2.8 percent after the retailer reported a solid quarter but also said its earnings per share could drop as much as 20 percent next year. The stock gave up 73 cents to $25.59.
General Electric Co. was among the market's big movers, sliding sharply for the second straight day after analysts downgraded the industrial conglomerate. On Monday, GE pulled back on profit expectations and slashed its dividend in half. The stock tumbled $1.12, or 5.9 percent, to $17.90 Tuesday. It's now down 43.4 percent this year.
Investors bid up shares in Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. after a report that Roark Capital has offered to buy the company for $150 a share, or $2.3 billion. Shares in the restaurant chain soared $28.10, or 24 percent, to $145.35.
Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.38 percent from 2.41 percent late Monday.
In other energy futures trading, wholesale gasoline gave up 3 cents to $1.76 a gallon. Heating oil fell 3 cents to $1.91 a gallon. Natural gas slid 7 cents to $3.10 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Business on 11/15/2017