US equity indexes were mixed intraday Tuesday as Wall Street digested a report showing the worst monthly decline in consumer confidence in three-and-a-half years.

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.9% to 19,117.2, while the S&P 500 was down 0.3% to 5,967.2. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4% at 43,637.1. Energy led decliners among sectors, while consumer staples was the biggest gainer intraday followed by real estate.

Consumer confidence declined for a third consecutive month in February and by more than economists projected as both current views and expectations deteriorated, the Conference Board reported Tuesday. The consumer confidence index decreased by 7 points to 98.3 this month, its largest monthly decline since August 2021, according to Stephanie Guichard, senior economist of global indicators at the Conference Board.

"Consumers became pessimistic about future business conditions and less optimistic about future income," Guichard said. "Pessimism about future employment prospects worsened and reached a ten-month high."

The report also showed that average 12-month inflation expectations surged to 6% this month from 5.2% the month prior.

January's personal consumption expenditures report is due to be released on Friday.

In other macro news, US home prices increased to a fresh all-time high in December as annual growth accelerated, S&P Global (SPGI) division S&P Dow Jones Indices said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Fed's general services business index fell to 4.6 in February from 7.4 in January as outlooks retreated sharply, the Fed branch said.

President Donald Trump said Monday that the US is on track to move forward with imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico after agreeing to a month-long postponement.

"Tariffs remain top of mind, sparking a rise in consumer inflation expectations and complicating international relationships," Stifel Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza said in a note.

US Treasury yields fell by Tuesday afternoon, with the 10-year sinking 7.7 basis points to 4.32% and the two-year rate diving 5.1 basis points to 4.1%.

In company news, Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) agreed to acquire Solventum's (SOLV) purification and filtration business for $4.1 billion in cash. Shares of Solventum advanced 10% intraday, the top performer on the S&P 500.

Energy company Sempra (SRE) was the index's leading laggard, down more than 18%, after reporting worse-than-expected fourth-quarter results, while lowering its full-year 2025 earnings guidance.

Tesla (TSLA) was among the biggest S&P 500 decliners, down more than 8% after data showed that European sales for the electric vehicle manufacturer nearly halved year to year in January.

Home Depot (HD) reported improved fourth-quarter results on Tuesday and its shares rallied 2.9%.

Intuit (INTU), Workday (WDAY) and Caesars Entertainment (CZR) are expected to report earnings after the market closes. On Wednesday, home improvement retailer Lowe's (LOW) will report in the morning while results from Nvidia (NVDA) and Salesforce (CRM) are expected after the bell.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures declined 2.6% to $68.86 a barrel.

Gold futures decreased 1.5% to $2,920.3 per troy ounce, while silver dropped 2.3% to $32.18 per troy ounce.