01:39 PM EDT, 07/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark stock indexes traded mixed while most government bond yields declined in midday trading Tuesday after job openings in May increased more than forecast.

The Nasdaq rose 0.5% to 17,965, and the S&P 500 climbed 0.2% to 5,488.1, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average eased less than 0.1% to 39,162.4, paring earlier losses. Consumer discretionary led the gainers, while health care posted the steepest decline.

The US 10-year Treasury yield fell 2.8 basis points to 4.45%, with the two-, five-, and 30-year rates also trading lower.

In economic news, US job openings rose to 8.140 million from a revised 7.919 million in April and above the 7.946 million expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. Hiring rose to 5.756 million from 5.615 million. The number of people quitting jobs and those laid off increased sequentially in May.

Data released Tuesday by Paychex (PAYX) showed hiring by small businesses decelerated in June. According to the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch, the jobs index slipped to 100.29 versus 100.58 in May and 101.37 a year earlier. An index value of over 100 shows job gains. The report is focused exclusively on businesses with fewer than 50 workers.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose less than 0.1% to $83.46 a barrel, hovering around the highest since late April.

US crude inventories will likely be down 10.9 million barrels in the week ended Friday, Macquarie Group energy strategist Walt Chancellor said. The decline compares with a gain of 3.6 million in the prior week.

In company news, Tesla's (TSLA) stronger-than-projected Q2 deliveries mark "a huge comeback" by the electric vehicle maker, with the worst now likely in the rearview mirror, Wedbush Securities said Tuesday. Shares of the company surged 8.1%, the top performer on the S&P and the Nasdaq.

Nike ( NKE ) needs to do some heavy lifting to right-size its key product franchises that are in decline amid the derating of its shares, RBC Capital Markets said in a report.

"Nike ( NKE ) should emerge a stronger company pursuing a more radical overhaul which is necessary and resort of last option," RBC said. Shares of Nike ( NKE ) fell 1.1%, the second-biggest drop on the Dow.

Gold fell 0.3% to $2,331.52 an ounce, while silver rose 0.1% to $29.65.