04:19 PM EST, 11/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes closed lower Tuesday as consumer discretionary and technology sectors slumped.

* Private payrolls fell by an average of 2,500 jobs per week in the four weeks ending Nov. 1, according to preliminary data from Automatic Data Processing.

* Factory new orders rose 1.4% in August, led by a 7.9% jump in transportation equipment. Excluding transportation, new orders edged up 0.1%. Durable goods orders climbed 2.9%, while nondurable goods orders slipped 0.1%.

* The National Association of Home Builders' housing market index rose to 38 in November from 37 in October, defying expectations for no change in a Bloomberg survey.

* December West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $0.89 to settle at $60.80 per barrel, while January Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $0.75 to $64.95.

* Medtronic ( MDT ) shares rose 4.7% after the company raised its full-year outlook following better-than-expected fiscal Q2 results.

* PDD Holdings ( PDD ) shares fell 7.3% after the company reported Q3 revenue that missed market expectations.