S&P 500, Dow Close Lower; Nasdaq Lifted By Merger News

U.S. stocks closed mostly lower on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 and Dow industrials unable to sustains Monday's gains. Investors assessed a barrage of earnings, while M&A activity in the biotechnology industry helped lift the Nasdaq Composite. The S&P 500 closed 3.06 points, or 0.2%, lower at 2,097.34. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 84.94 points, or 0.5%, to 17,949.72. The Nasdaq Composite outperformed other indexes and ended the session up 19.50 points, or 0.4%, to 5,014.10.