03:45 PM EDT, 04/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were in the red in late Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.7% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) shedding 0.5%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index was falling 2.4%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) was down 1.2%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was tumbling 4.6% to $66,106, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was fractionally higher at 4.36%.

In economic news, US job openings rose to 8.76 million in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, above the 8.73 million openings expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg, and up from the 8.75 million openings reported in January.

New orders for US factory goods gained 1.4% in February, above expectations for a 1% increase in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following a revised 3.8% drop in January.

In corporate news, AllianceBernstein ( AB ) and French bank Societe Generale on Tuesday announced the launch of their joint venture, Bernstein, a global cash equities and investment research business. AllianceBernstein ( AB ) shares rose 0.8%.

BlackRock ( BLK ) , State Street (STT), and Vanguard face scrutiny from a regulator in Washington on concerns that the index fund giants are failing to abide by an agreement to be passive players at banks, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. board member Jonathan McKernan told The Journal he wants to strengthen the FDIC's monitoring of the firms and stop their investments in banks above the 10% threshold until the agency finishes an examination of their role. BlackRock ( BLK ) shares fell 1.6%, and State Street shed 0.4%.

The US Department of Labor on Tuesday finalized its rules for managing workplace retirement plans, adding conflict-of-interest restrictions and reporting requirements for major fund managers running pension plans and 401(k) investment programs. JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) , Goldman Sachs ( GS ) , Deutsche Bank ( DB ) and UBS (UBS) reportedly are among the larger firms that have already been asked to secure QPAM exemptions under the preliminary guidelines.

CME (CME) said Tuesday its Q1 average daily volume reached 26.4 million contracts, down 2% from a year earlier. Its shares were rising 1%.