Stocks fell Tuesday, as a weaker-than-expected U.S. consumer-confidence report and slumping oil prices sparked a sell-off. However, Tuesday marked the end of the Standard & Poor's 500's best quarter in more than a decade. The S&P 500 surged 40 percent since hitting 12-year lows on March 9. But in the last two weeks, stocks have fallen modestly as investors have worried that the market was ahead of any economic rebound. The Dow industrials gained 12 percent in the second quarter, their best performance since the second quarter of 2003. The technology-heavy Nasdaq has gained 21 percent, also its best showing since the second quarter of 2003. But weakness in the first quarter means that first-half 2009 results are not as impressive. The Dow is down 2.8 percent, the S&P 500 is up 2.7 percent, and the Nasdaq is up 14 percent so far this year. --MORE
