04:49 PM EST, 02/25/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes closed mostly lower Tuesday as markets evaluated a report showing a third straight monthly decline in consumer confidence.

The Nasdaq Composite declined 1.4% to 19,026.4, while the S&P 500 fell 0.5% to 5,955.3. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4% to 43,621.2. Among sectors, communication services was the steepest decliner, while consumer staples and real estate led the gainers.

In economic news, US consumer confidence fell for a third consecutive month in February, registering the largest monthly decline since August 2021, the Conference Board reported.

"Consumers became pessimistic about future business conditions and less optimistic about future income," said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist of global indicators at the Conference Board.

Labor market conditions in the US are solid, though inflation continues to be "somewhat elevated," Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Tom Barkin said. "It makes sense to stay modestly restrictive until we are more confident inflation is returning to our 2% target."

US home prices increased to a fresh all-time high in December as annual growth accelerated, S&P Global ( SPGI ) division S&P Dow Jones Indices said.

Separately, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said home prices increased 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis in December, the same pace as November's upwardly revised figure.

US Treasury yields slid, with the 10-year rate sinking about 10 basis points to 4.29% and the two-year rate losing 6.6 basis points to 4.10%.

On Monday, President Donald Trump said the US is on track to move forward with imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico after agreeing to a month-long postponement.

"Tariffs remain top of mind, sparking a rise in consumer inflation expectations and complicating international relationships," Stifel said.

In company news, Tesla (TSLA) shares fell 8.4%, among the worst performers on the S&P 500, after data showed that European sales for the electric vehicle manufacturer nearly halved year to year in January. In addition, Reuters reported that Tesla's long-awaited update to its autopilot software in China disappointed Chinese owners.

Energy company Sempra ( SRE ) saw the steepest decline on the S&P 500, down 19%, after reporting worse-than-expected fourth-quarter results, while lowering its 2025 earnings guidance.

Thermo Fisher Scientific ( TMO ) agreed to acquire Solventum's (SOLV) purification and filtration business for about $4.1 billion in cash, as the medical-device manufacturer looks to expand its bioprocessing portfolio. Solventum shares jumped 9.5%, the top S&P 500 gainer, while Thermo Fisher edged 0.8% higher.

Keurig Dr Pepper ( KDP ) rose 2.4% after the beverage company logged better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and projected annual earnings and sales growth in 2025.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 2.2% to $69.16 a barrel Tuesday.

Gold decreased 1.1% to $2,930.4 per troy ounce, while silver dropped 1.6% to $32.38 per troy ounce.