US stocks close lower as earnings weigh

The Dow fell 204.57 points, or 0.46%, to 44,632.99, the S&P 500 lost 18.91 points, or 0.30%, to 6,370.86 and the Nasdaq lost 80.29 points, or 0.38%, to 21,098.29.

NEW YORK: US stocks closed lower on Tuesday as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq retreated from record highs after some disappointing corporate earnings, while investors awaited a Federal Reserve policy statement.

A host of Dow components reported earnings, with UnitedHealth, Boeing and Merck all closing lower after their quarterly results. Health insurer UnitedHealth stumbled 7.5% and was the biggest drag on the Dow after a disappointing profit forecast, while Boeing declined 4.4% despite reporting a smaller second-quarter loss.