Stocks Closed Lower on Geopolitical Tensions

U.S. stocks closed moderately lower on Tuesday as investors remained cautious on rising geopolitical tensions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 6.72 points, or 0.03%, to 20,651.30. The S&P 500 fell 3.38 points, or 0.14%, to 2,353.78. The Nasdaq Composite declined 14.15 points, or 0.24%, to 5,866.77.

Oil futures finished higher Tuesday, stretching their streak of gains to a sixth session as prices rebounded on talk of a possible extension to the OPEC-led production cut agreement. May West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 32 cents, or 0.6%, to settle at $53.40 a barrel. June Brent crudetacked on 25 cents, or 0.5%, to $56.23 a barrel.

U.S. employers posted more open positions in February, but the number of people getting hired and the number quitting jobs fell. The Labor Department said Tuesday that job openings rose 2.1 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted 5.7 million. While more employers are seeking workers, hiring fell 2 percent compared to January to 5.3 million. Job openings have increased 3.2 percent over the past 12 months.