Investing.com -- Stocks on the U.S. equities markets were mixed on Tuesday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average used a late rally to set an all-time closing record for a second consecutive session amid one of the strongest months in residential construction on record.
The Dow gained 13.51 or 0.07% to 18,312.39 on Tuesday to extend its winning streak to its fourth session. The Dow also closed at a record-high in early-March, but has fluctuated over the last two months following a wave of soft U.S. economic data.
New residential construction for the month of April soared to its highest level since 2007, bolstered by a spike in multi-family starts. The U.S. Department of Commerce said Tuesday that housing starts last month surged more than 20% for the month to 1.135 million, one of its highest on record. As a result, the dollar rose by more than 1% reaching its highest level in two weeks.
Disappointing earnings from Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) and a sell-off in energy stocks still weighed on the major indices, which wavered on a choppy day of trading. One day after setting an all-time closing high, the S&P 500 Composite index fell back slightly while the NASDAQ Composite remained just under a record closing-high.
Wal-Mart, the worst performer on the Dow, fell 3.49 or 4.37% to 76.43, after missing analysts' forecasts with its same-store sales. Though the world's largest retailer increased same-store sales by 1.1% for the first quarter, it still fell below estimates of a 1.5% gain on a year-over-year basis. Wal-Mart also reported slight declines in revenue and net profit over the period. The top performer on the Dow was McDonald`s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), which gained 2.66 or 2.71% to 100.68.
The NASDAQ lost 8.41 or 0.17% to 5,070.03, while the S&P 500 fell 1.37 or 0.06% to 2,127.83.
On the S&P 500, seven of 10 sectors closed in the red as stocks in the Energy, Telecommunications and Basic Materials industries lagged. Stocks in the Energy sector fell by more than 1.3% on the session, as crude futures experienced their worst session of the month. Stocks in the Health Care, Utilities and Financials sectors rose modestly on the day.
The biggest gainer on the NASDAQ was Liberty Glob a, which rose 1.17 or 2.25% to 53.11. The worst performer, meanwhile, was Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) which dropped 3.38 or 7.62% to 40.98 following a last-minute sell-off. On Tuesday, Yahoo! promoted Laurie Mann to its chief information officer one day after Mike Kail stepped down from the position.
The top performer on the S&P 500 was TJX Companies Inc (NYSE:TJX), which gained 1.93 or 2.87% to 69.19. The worst performer on the S&P 500 was Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN), which lost 6.11 or 15.00% to 35.16, one day after reporting worse than expected earnings.