Stocks fell significantly Tuesday after a closely watched index of U.S. consumer confidence plunged, reflecting investors' growing pessimism about the strength of the economic recovery. A mixed market turned negative after the late-morning release of the weaker-than-expected consumer-confidence report, which reflected investor wariness this year amid conflicting readings on the economy, domestic and international debt issues, and lawmaker gridlock in Washington. In a second report, the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home-price index of the 20 biggest U.S. metropolitan areas fell 3.1 percent in December from a year earlier. The reading was in line with estimates and an improvement from a 12-month drop of 5.3 percent seen the previous month, and the index rose 0.3 percent from November, suggesting the housing market is continuing to recover. --MORE
