01:09 PM EDT, 09/30/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes declined after midday Tuesday as the dollar weakened and government bond yields retreated amid an increasing likelihood that the Republicans and Democrats will fail to avert a government shutdown.

The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.2% to 22,557.3, the S&P 500 was down less than 0.1% to 6,658.5, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.2% lower at 46,217.5. Energy, communication services, and consumer discretionary led the decliners intraday. Healthcare and technology were among the gainers.

A Monday meeting on a short-term spending bill ended without an agreement. Selling pressure pushed the dollar down 0.6% against the Japanese yen after US Vice President J. D. Vance warned that a partial government shutdown is imminent. Gold futures rose 0.5% to $3,873.40, following an earlier all-time high of $3,899.20 intraday, as the Tuesday midnight deadline approached.

In economic data, US job openings rose to 7.227 million in August, beating expectations of 7.2 million and slightly above July's 7.208 million. The openings rate held steady at 4.3%, but was down from 4.6% a year ago. The hiring rate, however, slipped to 3.2% from 3.3% in July and 3.3% a year earlier.

"Consumers' write-in responses showed that references to prices and inflation rose in September, regaining its top position as the main topic influencing consumers' views of the economy," said Stephanie Guichard, Senior Economist, Global Indicators at The Conference Board. "References to tariffs declined this month but remained elevated and continued to be associated with concerns about higher prices."

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index retreated to 94.2 in September, below forecasts and its lowest since April 2025. The Institute for Supply Management's Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index also declined, down to 40.6 in September from 41.5 in August and below the 43.3 forecast in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.

Most US Treasury yields retreated, with the 10-year down 1.6 basis points to 4.13% and the two-year rate 3.7 basis points lower at 3.60%.

In company news, shares of Lamb Weston ( LW ) rose 5% intraday, among the top performers on the S&P 500, after the company reported lower fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings and higher revenue that beat analyst expectations.

Merck (MRK) said Tuesday a phase 3 trial showed its experimental drug, Winrevair, significantly reduced the risk of clinical worsening events by 76% in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension at intermediate or high risk, compared with placebo. Its shares rose 4.5% intraday, the top gainer on the Dow.

Nvidia ( NVDA ) was up 2.5% intraday, among the top performers on the Nasdaq and the Dow.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures dropped 1% to $62.80 a barrel.