03:54 PM EDT, 09/24/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were higher ahead of Tuesday's close as markets analyzed the latest economic data.

The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.5% at 18,060.1, while the S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 5,727.9. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed at 42,135.8. Among sectors, materials paced the gainers, while financials saw the biggest drop.

US consumer confidence dropped to 98.7 in September from 105.6 last month, the Conference Board said.

US home prices increased in July for a 14th straight monthly record, though the pace of annual growth decelerated to the slowest level of 2024, S&P Global ( SPGI ) division S&P Dow Jones Indices said.

Separately, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said home prices edged up 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis in July, while June's 0.1% decrease was revised up to a flat level. The consensus was for a 0.2% rise in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

The US two-year yield fell 4.2 basis points to 3.53%, while the 10-year rate lost one basis point to 3.73%.

KB Home ( KBH ) , Progress Software ( PRGS ) and Worthington Enterprises ( WOR ) are scheduled to report their latest quarterly financial results after the closing bell.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil increased 1.8% to $71.62 a barrel.