04:12 PM EDT, 04/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity markets ended lower Tuesday as traders weighed reports on job openings and factory orders.

* The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that job openings rose only slightly to 8.76 million in February from 8.75 million in January, while hiring increased to 5.82 million from 5.70 million, remaining well below the level of openings. The number of people quitting jobs increased modestly compared with a larger increase in the number of layoffs.

* Factory new orders rose by 1.4% in February following a revised 3.8% decrease in January, compared with expectations for a 1% increase in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. Factory shipments advanced by 1.4% and factory inventories rose by 0.3%.

* May West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up $1.42 to $85.13 per barrel, while June Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $1.53 to $88.95.

* Tesla (TSLA) shares fell nearly 5% after the company's Q1 deliveries missed analysts' expectations and decreased both on a sequential and annual bases, partially impacted by factory shutdowns.

* VivoPower International ( VVPR ) shares soared more than 300% after its Tembo unit said it has signed a binding heads of agreement to exclusively negotiate a business combination with blank check firm Cactus Acquisition (CCTS).