12:10 PM EDT, 06/04/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark stock indexes fell in midday trading Tuesday as a decline in government bond yields and crude oil following a steeper-than-anticipated drop in job openings weighed on investor sentiment.

The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.4% to 16,767.2. The S&P 500 retreated 0.4% to 5,261.6, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.2% to 38,511.2.

The US 10-year Treasury yield dropped 5.9 basis points to 4.34%, and the two-year yield fell 4.3 basis points to 4.78%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil dropped 1.4% to $73.22 a barrel, extending its decline to the lowest since early February.

In economic news Tuesday, US job openings fell to 8.059 million in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with the 8.35 million openings expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and below the 8.355 million reported in March. The April level represents 4.8% of total employment, down from 5% in March and 6% a year earlier.

Redbook US same-store sales growth slowed to 5.8% from a year ago during the week ended June 1 from a 6.3% gain in the previous week.

However, new orders for US factory goods rose 0.7% in April, above expectations for a 0.6% increase in a survey compiled by Bloomberg but in line with the rise in March. Excluding a 1.1% gain in transportation orders, new orders would have increased 0.7% after a 0.4% gain in March.

In company news, Bath & Body Works ( BBWI ) issued a downbeat fiscal Q2 earnings outlook on Tuesday, while the personal care and home fragrance retailer narrowed its full-year guidance. Shares slumped nearly 14%, the worst performer on the S&P 500.

Jefferies was among the Wall Street brokerages to adjust their price target for Honeywell International ( HON ) , raising it to $220 from $215. This move comes as Honeywell ( HON ) raised its full-year sales and earnings guidance on Monday and completed the acquisition of Carrier Global's ( CARR ) security business for $4.95 billion. Shares of the company rose 1.7% intraday, the top performer on the Dow.

Gold sank 1.4% to $2,337.81 an ounce, and silver plunged 3.6% to $29.68.