Wall Street drifts after mixed data on the US economy

Stocks are drifting on Wall Street following mixed data on the US economy, which did little to clear up uncertainty about where interest rates may be heading.

- 

The S&P 500 slipped 0.18 in early trading on Tuesday. It’s a bit below the all-time high it set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.28.

Treasury yields were mixed after one report said the unemployment rate was at its worst level last month since 2021, but employers also added more jobs than economists expected. A separate report said sales at US retailers and restaurants were unchanged in October.

Wall Street inched slightly lower early Tuesday ahead of the release of US employment and inflation reports that could drive the direction of interest rates.

Futures for the S&P 500 fell 0.28 before the bell Tuesday, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were unchanged. Nasdaq futures lost 0.28.

Shares in Roomba maker iRobot sank more than 20% in premarket trading after the company filed for Chapter II bankruptcy protection. That was on top of a nearly 738 decline on Monday. The company known for its robotic vacuums said it doesn’t expect any disruptions to its devices as it is taken private.