The Dow Jones industrial average fell 14.39, or 0.11 percent, to 13,337.66. The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 4.85, or 0.32 percent, to 1,492.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 2.92 points, or 0.11 percent, to 2,574.16.

News from various sectors -- reports on the housing market and consumer confidence came in below expectations -- created a topsy-turvy session, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"I think we're in a period where we're going to see a lot of very volatile days," said Scott Wren, senior equity strategist at A.G. Edwards & Sons. "The news is going to be mixed, and we're going to have a lot of back and forth."

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,191 stocks reported gains and 2,103 logged losses on volume of 1.72 billion shares traded on the exchange.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury note was down $1.25 for every $1,000 invested to yield 5.09 percent.

The dollar was mixed. The euro was at $1.3459 Tuesday from $1.3465 late Monday. The dollar was at 123.22 yen from 123.58 yen.