02:21 PM EDT, 09/17/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were mixed intraday as markets analyzed the latest economic data and awaited the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were down 0.1% each at 41,590.1 and 5,630.9, respectively, after midday Tuesday. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2% to 17,619.4. Among sectors, health care saw the steepest decline, while energy led the gainers.

In economic news, US retail sales in August rose against Wall Street's expectations for a drop, while the pace of growth slowed amid declines in gas station and motor vehicle sales, according Census Bureau data.

"Based on the health of consumer spending alone, the Fed would have little reason for an aggressive start to the easing cycle, and we continue to lean toward a smaller move," BMO Capital Markets said in a note to clients.

US homebuilder confidence improved in September for the first time in five months amid declining mortgage rates, according to National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

"Thanks to lower interest rates, builders now have a positive view for future new home sales for the first time since May," NAHB Chairman Carl Harris said.

The US two-year yield rose 3.5 basis points to 3.59% intraday, while the 10-year rate increased 2.6 basis points to 3.65%.

There's currently a 65% probability that the central bank's monetary policy committee will reduce its benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points Wednesday, with the remaining odds in the favor of a 25-basis-point reduction, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

"The committee is likely to maintain a base case of (25-basis-point) cuts beginning this week, with a consideration but not a commitment to action at every subsequent meeting," Stifel said in a Tuesday note to clients.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 2.1% to $71.53 a barrel intraday.

In company news, Accenture ( ACN ) shares were down 4.7%, the steepest decline on the S&P 500. The company is delaying most staff promotions through June, Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources.

Separately, Accenture ( ACN ) said it invested in technology firm Martian.

Moderna ( MRNA ) was the best performer on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, up 4.6%, after the drugmaker said it received Health Canada's approval for its updated Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine targeting the KP.2 sub-lineage of SARS-CoV-2 in individuals aged six months and above.

Intel ( INTC ) shares rose 2.9%, the top Dow performer and among the best on the Nasdaq. Late Monday, the chipmaker outlined plans to turn its manufacturing business into an independent subsidiary and expand its partnership with Amazon.com's ( AMZN ) cloud computing unit to produce custom artificial intelligence chips. Amazon ( AMZN ) shares were up 1.1% intraday Tuesday.

Gold was down 0.6% at $2,594.90 per troy ounce, while silver lost 0.5% to $30.97 per ounce.