Dow Closed Back Below 18000

U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday as the S&P 500 pulled back from a record high and the Dow tumbled back below the 18,000 mark. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 55.16 points, or 0.31%, to 17,983.07. The Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 10.22 points, or 0.49%, to 2080.35. The Nasdaq composite fell 29.47 points, or 0.61%, to 4777.44.

U.S. consumers are feeling slightly better about the economy as 2014 draws to a close, according to a report released Tuesday. The Conference Board, a private research group, said its index of consumer confidence increased to a two-month high of 92.6 in December from a revised 91.0 in November, first reported as 88.7.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose at a slower pace in the year ended in October, putting the market on better footing heading into 2015. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values increased 4.5 percent from October 2013, the smallest gain in two years.