04:35 PM EST, 02/11/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes closed mixed Tuesday as markets analyzed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's comments on monetary policy and awaited the official consumer inflation data for January.

The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4% to 19,643.9, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3% to 44,593.7. The S&P 500 was little changed at 6,068.5. Consumer discretionary posted the biggest drop among sectors, while consumer staples led the gainers.

"With our policy stance now significantly less restrictive than it had been and the economy remaining strong, we do not need to be in a hurry to adjust our policy stance," Powell said in prepared remarks to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. "We know that reducing policy restraint too fast or too much could hinder progress on inflation. At the same time, reducing policy restraint too slowly or too little could unduly weaken economic activity and employment."

Powell is scheduled to appear before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday.

The US 10-year yield rose 4.2 basis points to 4.54% Tuesday, while the two-year rate added 2.2 basis points to 4.29%.

Government data are expected to show Wednesday that US consumer inflation last month rose 0.3% sequentially following a 0.4% gain in December, according to a Bloomberg consensus. On an annual basis, the US consumer price index probably increased 2.9% in January, unchanged from the prior month.

The official US producer price report for January is due Thursday.

Late last month, the Fed kept interest rates unchanged following three straight cuts and said inflation remained "somewhat elevated."

In economic news, small business optimism in the US fell more than projected in January, while the uncertainty index jumped, a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business showed.

"With monetary policy on hold for the foreseeable future, fiscal policy grinding its way slowly through Congress, and trade policy front and center, it is likely that uncertainty will remain a constraint on business confidence over the coming months," TD Economics said.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil increased 1.3% to $73.24 a barrel.

In company news, Fidelity National Information Services ( FIS ) shares fell 12%, the steepest decline on the S&P, after the financial technology company's revenue performance in Q4 and the outlook for the full year disappointed Wall Street.

Electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA) shares fell 6.3%, the biggest drop on the Nasdaq and the third-largest decline on the S&P.

DuPont de Nemours ( DD ) posted stronger-than-expected Q4 growth amid higher volumes, while projecting organic revenue acceleration in 2025. The industrial materials manufacturer's shares jumped 6.9%, the top increase on the S&P.

Coca-Cola (KO) logged better-than-expected Q4 results amid volume and pricing gains, while the beverage giant projected annual growth in earnings and organic revenue for 2025. The company's shares jumped 4.7%, the biggest increase on the Dow.

Gold fell 0.3% to $2,926.30 per troy ounce, while silver lost 0.8% to $32.25 per ounce.