Markets Right Now: A mixed open on Wall Street

The latest on developments in financial markets (All times local):

9:35 a.m.

The stock market is getting off to a mixed start as drops in real estate and utilities offset gains in other sectors including health care.

Struggling drugmaker Valeant jumped 9 percent early Tuesday after saying it will sell more than $2 billion in assets.

Ascena Retail Group plunged 14 percent after cutting its profit forecast because holiday season sales fell for most of its brands, including Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and Dressbarn.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 41 points, or 0.2 percent, to 19,844.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index was little changed at 2,267. The Nasdaq was also flat at to 5,531.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.37 percent.