US stocks trade mixed amid earnings rush and fresh economic data

• US stocks finished mixed Tuesday amid more earnings reports and fresh economic data.
• The number of job openings dropped by more than expected, according to Labor Department data.

US stocks finished mixed on Tuesday amid more earnings reports and fresh economic data that pointed to some weakening.

Dow stocks Merck and Caterpillar reported quarterly earnings that topped forecasts, while fellow blue chip Pfizer gave mixed results.

The Labor Department reported that job openings in June fell to 9.582 million from 9.824 million in the prior month, below forecasts for about 9.6 million.

The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index edged up to 46.4 in July from 46.0 in June, still signalling contraction and missing views for 46.8.

Here's where US indexes stood at the 4 p.m. ET closing bell on Tuesday:

• S&P 500: 4,577.57, down, 0.25%
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: 35,636.12, up 0.22% (76.59 points)
• Nasdaq Composite: 14,283.91, down 0.43%

Here's what else is happening:

• How to invest $100,000 right now, according to billionaire Mike Novogratz.
• The SEC charged a crypto entrepreneur with illegally raising over $1 billion and spending client funds on luxury goods, including a billion-year-old diamond.
• Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel expects stocks to hit fresh highs, and sees only a 30% chance of a recession.
• BlackRock and MSCI are facing congressional probes over facilitating investments in Chinese firms flagged by the US for security concerns.

In commodities, bonds and crypto:

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil dipped 0.5% to $81.41 per barrel. Brent crude, oil's international benchmark, dropped 0.6% to $84.96.
• Gold slipped 1.3% to $1,982.50 per ounce.
• The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose 8.8 basis points up to 4.045%.
• Bitcoin edged up 0.1% to $29,237.