01:15 PM EDT, 10/21/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes were mixed after midday Tuesday amid lower government bond yields and plunging precious metal prices.

The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.1% to 22,970.6, while the S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 6,743.0 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7% to 47,025.9. Consumer discretionary and industrials were among the top gainers, while communication services and utilities led the decliners.

US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed on Monday a critical minerals framework, which aims to boost US access to the mining and processing of Australian rare earth resources, according to a White House statement.

"Resource-rich nations with critical minerals should play a proactive role in safeguarding the security and stability of the industrial and supply chains," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly said.

Trump expects to reach a "fair" trade deal with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, as the two leaders are likely to meet in South Korea next week, according to Reuters.

The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as the fear gauge, slipped 1.5% to 17.96.

Gold futures sank 5.5% to $4,121.82, diving from Monday's all-time high. Silver futures slumped 7.1% to $47.74, also retreating from record territories. The ICE US Dollar Index rose 0.3% to 98.88, also pressuring precious metal prices.

Most US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year yield down 3.3 basis points to 3.96%, the lowest since April on an intraday basis.

In company news, General Motors ( GM ) lifted its full-year earnings outlook while lowering expected tariff headwinds after Q3 results topped market estimates. Its shares soared 15% intraday, the leader on the S&P 500.

Coca-Cola (KO) reported better-than-expected fiscal Q3 earnings, while revenue matched the Street's estimates amid pricing and volume gains. Shares jumped 3.4% intraday, among the biggest gainers on the Dow.

Warner Bros. Discovery's ( WBD ) shares surged 11% intraday, among the top performers on the S&P 500, after the media and entertainment giant said it is open to a potential sale as it initiated a review of strategic alternatives after receiving interest from "multiple parties."

Meanwhile, the current US federal government shutdown is the 15th since 1981 and is tied for the second-longest in US history as the political stalemate entered its 21st day, a USA Today report said. There are no votes scheduled on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures rose 0.8% to $57.99 a barrel.