03:27 PM EDT, 04/09/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were slumping in late Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index 0.6% lower and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) down 0.7%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index was fractionally lower, while the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) rose 0.9%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) dropped 3.9% to $68,811, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries declined 6 basis points to 4.37%.

In economic news, the National Federation of Independent Business optimism index fell to 88.5 in March, the lowest since 2012.

On Wednesday, the US consumer price index will likely show a headline gain of 3.4% annualized for March, up from 3.2% in February, while growth in the core, which excludes the volatile food and energy prices, will probably slow to 3.7% from 3.8% a month earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

In corporate news, Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. I ( BCSA ) and Linqto said Tuesday they have struck a merger deal that will result in Linqto becoming a unit of the blank-check firm. Blockchain Coinvestors shares rose 0.3%.