NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended mixed on Tuesday, led by a persistent rally in technology shares that propelled the Nasdaq Composite Index to a back-to-back record closing high.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 185.14 points, or 0.36 percent, to 51,863.69. The S&P 500 sank 0.06 points to 7,764.64. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 122.18 points, or 0.45 percent, to 27,244.28.
Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in the red, with financials and energy leading the laggards by falling 1.98 percent and 1.01 percent, respectively. Materials and consumer staples led the gainers by going up 1.9 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively.
Oil prices extended their decline following diplomatic remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump indicating productive initial discussions between American officials and the Iranian delegation in New York. West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery fell 1.19 U.S. dollars, or 1.24 percent, to settle at 94.59 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for November delivery declined 1.09 dollars, or 1.09 percent, to finish at 99.25 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange, slipping back below the 100-dollar threshold.
Moreover, the Trump administration is examining whether a diesel export ban is a feasible way to address record-high prices for the critical fuel, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday.
"We're examining whether it's feasible in terms of the overall refining capacity and whether a full or partial ban would work," Bessent told reporters at a bilateral meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations.
In corporate developments, shares of homebuilder Lennar surged 6.38 percent after a regulatory disclosure revealed that Berkshire Hathaway acquired nearly 2.75 million shares of the company over the previous three trading sessions.
Conversely, cruise line operator Royal Caribbean slid 6.14 percent following media reports that the company is close to finalizing an agreement to acquire a majority stake in resort operator Sandals Resorts International.
