S&P 500 up, Dow down on Tuesday

NEW YORK, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. markets were in flux Tuesday, as the mood on Wall Street turned cautious after strong gains Monday.

Investors were contemplating a seemingly far-fetched scenario as Slovakia appeared ready to reject an expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility -- the 17th and final country in the eurozone to hold a vote on the issue and the only one likely to turn it down. One country's rejection would derail the initiative.

A straw vote is expected in Bratislava, the nation's capital, by the end of the week. It would not be the final say on Slovakia's decision, but headlines showing a negative vote would likely reverberate through stock markets around the world.

By close of trading in New York, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 16.88 points 0.28 percent to 11,416.30. The Standard & Poor's 500 index hit 1,195.54, up 0.65 points or 0.05 percent. The Nasdaq composite index rose 0.66 percent, 16.98 points, to 2,583.03.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,672 stocks advanced and 1,340 declined on a volume of 3.7 billion shares traded.

The benchmark 10-year treasury note lost 26/32 to yield 2.16 percent.

The euro fell to $1.3641 from Monday's $1.3644. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 76.66 yen from Monday's 76.7 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index rose 1.95 percent, 168.06 points, to 8,773.68.

In London, the FTSE 100 index lost 0.06 percent, 3.30, to 5,395.70.