U.S. markets slipped Tuesday as an index of independent businesses showed optimism remains in a trough, UPI reported. The National Federation of Independent Businesses, a trade group representing small companies, said their monthly Small Business Optimism index increased 1.9 points in February to 90.8. The improvement is welcome, the association said. But the index "remains on par with the 2008 average and below the troughs" of two previous recessions, the report said. In late morning trading on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 0.23 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 14,447.06 after establishing a record closing high on Monday. The Standard and Poor's 500 index off 4.13 points or 0.27 percent to 1,552.09. The Nasdaq composite dropped 15.28 points or 0.47 percent to 3,237.60. The 10-year U.S. treasury bonds rose 12/32 to yield 2.021 percent. Against the dollar, the euro fell to $1.3034 from Monday's $1.3046. Against the yen, the dollar was lower at 95.96 yen from 96.29 yen. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 shed 0.28 percent, 34.24 points, to 12,314.81.
