The Dow Jones Industrials finished ahead of breakeven by 13.44 points Tuesday at 33,997.98.
The much-broader index sank 0.43 points to close at 4,373.20.
The NASDAQ index dropped 34.24 points to 13,533.75.
To be sure, a solid start to the third-quarter earnings season is helping ease concerns somewhat.
Bank of America advanced more than 2% on the back on a better-than-expected report. Bank of New York Mellon climbed nearly 4% after also beating analyst forecasts in the quarter.
Beyond earnings, chip stocks including Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices struggled in the session after the U.S. Department of Commerce announced plans to tighten restrictions on sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips to China.
Rising yields have pressured the broader market in recent weeks as traders assess the prospects of tighter Federal Reserve policy for longer than expected. Investors have also considered the potential impact from the Israel-Hamas war on the global economy.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury sagged, raising yields to 4.84% from Monday’s 4.71%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices let go of 60 cents to $87.26 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices eked up $1.70 to $1,936.00.