NEW YORK: US blue-chip stocks fell Tuesday, extending Monday's losses after data showed the housing sector remained deeply depressed in April and Hewlett-Packard painted a dim picture for personal computer sales.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 blue-chip stocks closed down 68.95 points (0.55 percent) at 12,479.42.
The broader S&P 500 lost only 0.49 point (0.04 percent) to 1,328.98, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite edged up a bare 0.90 point (0.03 percent) to 2,783.21.
Data on new home-building in April showed the key construction sector of the economy remains very weak despite ultra-low interest rates.
Housing starts tumbled 10.6 percent from March to an annual rate of 523,000, the Commerce Department reported, lower than analysts' projections of about 563,000.
Building permits also fell by 4.0 percent from the prior month to an annual rate of 551,000, well below expectations.
Computer giant H-P pulled down the Dow, its shares dropping 7.3 percent to $36.91 after cutting its outlook for the coming year due to weak PC sales.
Wal-Mart shares lost 0.9 percent at $55.54 after reporting earnings that were in line with expectations but showed weakness in domestic sales.
Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dropped to 3.12 percent compared to 3.15 percent late Monday, while that on the 30-year bond fell to 4.23 percent from 4.28 percent.
Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.
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