U.S. stocks closed mildly lower Tuesday, pressured by disappointing economic reports, as investors awaited key quarterly results and Wednesday's statement from the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed). The U.S. dollar fell slightly versus other major currencies. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 78 cents to $43.20 a barrel, a two-month low, on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures fell 40 cents to $1,165.80 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 41.62, or 0.2 percent, to 17,581.43. Nineteen of the index's 30 components fell, led by IBM, whose shares plunged 4 percent after the company disclosed that U.S. financial regulators are conducting an investigation into the firm's accounting treatment of certain transactions. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 5.29, or 0.3 percent, to 2,065.89. Energy led nine sectors lower, with healthcare the only advancing sector. Shares of UPS fell after the package-delivery giant reported an increase in profit but a surprising decline in revenue, caused by the strong U.S. dollar. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 4.56, or 0.1 percent, to 5,030.15. Shares of Apple fell 0.6 percent. Traders will be closely watching Apple's third-quarter results, due after the market closed.
