Mixed Day On Wall Street As Investors Remain Focused On Fed - U.S. Commentary

(RTTNews) - Wall Street put in a mixed performance on Tuesday. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq managed to snap their recent losing streaks.

However, the Dow gave up an early gain to finish the session with yet another loss. The blue-chip average closed just a few points above the 15,000 mark.

The session started with investors in the mood for some bargain hunting after the declines the market has sustained over the past several sessions.

Stocks lost ground again on Monday, adding to weakness seen last week, as the Dow and S&P 500 came further off the record highs set earlier this month. Some investors stepped into the market early in Tuesday's session, betting that the slide had gone far enough.

The buying interest moderated late in the day, however. People were reluctant to take significant positions ahead of the release of the minutes of the last Federal Reserve meeting. The report is set to come out on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 rose 6.29 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 1,652.35. The Nasdaq gained 24.50 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 3,613.59.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the day lower by 7.75 points to close at 15,002.99.

In corporate news, Home Depot (HD) reported second quarter earnings and revenues that exceeded analyst estimates. The company also raised its full-year guidance to reflect the improvement in the housing market.

Shares of Home Depot showed gains early in the session, but lost ground from there. The stock eventually ended with a decline of 92 cents, closing at $74.29.

Meanwhile, Best Buy (BBY) reported second quarter earnings that came in well above expectations. The stock jumped $4.07, or 13 percent, to close at $34.80.

Shares of J.C. Penney (JCP) moved notably higher as well. This despite the fact that the department store operator reported a wider-than-expected second quarter loss. The recent troubles for Penney had been widely publicized and were likely already priced into the stock.

Shares of Penney rose 79 cents or nearly 6 percent, to $14.01.