U.S. STOCKS, BONDS

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rebounded to eke out a narrow gain Tuesday, though most stocks finished lower as investors digested a downbeat earnings forecast from economic bellwether FedEx.

The Dow rose 11.54 points, or 0.1%, to 13564.64, climbing for the fifth time in six sessions and bouncing back from Monday's 40-point decline.

The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index eased 1.87 points, or 0.1%, to 1459.32. Energy and materials stocks were the benchmarks' biggest losers.

Financial stocks also were weak, and Bank of America was the worst-performing blue chip. Stocks in the consumer-staples sector put in the best showing, with Kraft Foods adding 1.7%.

FedEx declined 3.1% after the parcel-deliverer reported fiscal first quarter profit and revenue that topped analysts' estimates but cut its full-year earnings outlook.

This month, FedEx warned that a slowdown in global manufacturing activity would hurt its bottom line. FedEx and United Parcel Service, which dropped 1%, tend to offer clues about the pace of economic activity because they ship goods around the globe.

The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 0.87 points, or less than 0.1%, to 3177.80, finishing with back-to-back declines for the first time in four weeks. The technology-oriented Nasdaq inched lower even as Apple closed above $700 for the first time, adding 0.3%.

On Monday, Apple reported that a flood of orders for the new iPhone 5 exceeded the company's initial supply.

Stocks pared early declines after the National Association of Home Builders said home builders' confidence rose to its highest level in more than six years in September, marking its fifth-consecutive gain.

Market watchers said stocks are looking for direction after last week's long-anticipated announcement by the Federal Reserve to launch a new bond-buying program aimed at kick-starting growth and hiring.

EUROPEAN STOCKS, BONDS

The European Central Bank also signaled similar action this month. In other corporate news, Advanced Micro Devices slumped 9.7% and was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500 after the microchip maker said its chief financial officer, Thomas Seifert, will resign.

Alpha Natural Resources tumbled 2.5% after the coal miner said it would shut mines and cut about 9% of its workforce as part of efforts to realign resources away from extracting coal used to fire power plants, which is less profitable than coal used in steelmaking.

Dole Food fell 0.7% after the company said it reached an agreement to sell its packaged-foods and Asia fresh-produce businesses to Japan's Itochu for $1.69 billion.

Battery maker Energizer Holdings surged 11% after the company rolled out a plan to save money by trimming its global workforce and spending. The company reaffirmed its fiscal-year earnings outlook and said it expects the benefits of cost-cutting to appear in the second half of fiscal 2013.

Major oil companies led European stocks lower Tuesday as crude-oil prices fell, while banks declined as last week's risk rally ran out of steam. The Stoxx Europe 600 index dropped 0.4% to close at 273.80.

On Monday, the index shed 0.3%, as investors paused for breath after stocks rallied on Friday.

Chemicals firm Akzo Nobel NV was among the biggest decliners, down 5.5%, after it said Chief Executive Ton Buechner is taking temporary leave as a result of a medical condition.

For the broader market, oil firms provided pressure, as oil prices continued to decline. Crude-oil prices for October delivery dropped more than $2 Monday on talk of a possible Strategic Petroleum Reserve release.

Prices continued to push lower on Tuesday, trading at $96.13 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at the European market close.

Norway's Statoil ASA fell 1.1%. Among U.K. oil firms, BG Group PLC lost 2% and Royal Dutch Shell PLC ticked 0.8% lower. BP PLC slumped 2.8%, as the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority said it's investigating an oil leak at the firm's Ula oil field in the North Sea.

Mining firms were also on the decline, as most metals prices dropped on demand concerns after Australia, the world's biggest exporter of iron ore, cut its revenue forecast for the steel making ingredient.

Rio Tinto PLC lost 0.7% and BHP Billiton PLC and Anglo American PLC both gave up 1.4%. Losses for oil companies and miners weighed on the FTSE 100 index, which tripped 0.4% to 5,868.16.

Heavyweight bank HSBC Holdings PLC fell 0.9%. Elsewhere, Spain was in focus, as the government sold slightly more than planned in a 12-month and 18-month treasury bill auction and at lower borrowing costs compared with an auction held a month ago.

Investors also kept an eye on the country's debt in the secondary market, after bond yields climbed on Monday and as Madrid remained reluctant to ask for financial aid from the euro zone's rescue funds.

A formal request for help is a prerequisite to gain support from the bond-buying program outlined earlier this month by the European Central Bank.

Yields on 10-year Spanish government bonds fell nine basis points on Tuesday to 5.88%, according to electronic trading platform Tradeweb.

The IBEX 35 index, however, followed the negative sentiment across Europe's stock markets and dropped 1.1% to 8,058.30, weighed down by Banco Santander SA, off 2.2% and BBVA SA, down 2.9%. On the data front in Europe, the ZEW expectations index for German investors rose to -18.2 from -25.5 in September.

Among German stocks, Deutsche Bank AG led the charge south and tripped 4.9%. Commerzbank AG lost 3.4%. The DAX 30 index slumped 0.8% to 7,347.69.

Car makers were also lower, after data from the European Automobile Manufacturer's Association showed new passenger car registrations in the European Union dropped 8.9% in August year-on-year. Registrations fell 4.7% in Germany, while France saw a 11.4% decline.

BMW AG lost 2%, while Volkswagen AG gave up 2.3% in Frankfurt. In France, Peugeot SA slid 4.3% and Renault SA dropped 4%. Banks were also on the decline. Credit Agricole SA gave up 3.1% and Societe Generale SA lost 3.7%. The CAC 40 index dropped 1.2% to 3,512.69, further dragged lower by Total SA, which fell 1%.

ASIA-PACIFIC STOCK MARKETS

Asian markets were lower Tuesday as shares of companies with significant exposure to China struggled in Japan, while mainland auto firms with a Japan connection underperformed in Hong Kong.

Regional stocks drifted downward, as the boost from the U.S. Federal Reserve's bond-buying program announced late last week dissipated, and attention turned to September's preliminary manufacturing data for China due on Thursday.

Japanese markets resumed trading Tuesday after being closed for a public holiday Monday. The Nikkei dropped 0.4% to 9123.77, though some companies underperformed due to recent anti-Japanese demonstrations in China.

Fast Retailing dropped 7% after it temporarily closed 42 of its 145 Uniqlo stores in China. Honda Motor was off 2.5% after it announced it would close five plants on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Construction equipment manufacturer Komatsu retreated 1.8% after it halted plant productions at all of its plants on Monday and Tuesday.

In Hong Kong, stocks of mainland companies with a Japan connection continued to decline, with selling in car companies that have joint ventures with Japanese firms: Dongfeng Motor Group declined 5.1% and Guangzhou Automobile lost 1.8%.

Japanese-style noodle restaurant Ajisen (China) Holdings lost 0.8%. The Hang Seng Index was off 0.3% at 20601.93, while the Shanghai Composite Index slipped another 0.9% to 2059.54 as investors became pessimistic over the central government's infrastructure plans.

COMMODITIES

Base metals closed mixed on the London Metal Exchange in quiet trade Tuesday, with the near-term outlook unclear although analysts see scope for further weakness this week.

At the close of open-outcry trading, LME three-month copper was up just 0.2% on the day at $8,314 a metric ton. After starting the session unanimously lower, many metals gradually clawed back into positive territory, if by only a small margin.

Crude oil futures retreated again Tuesday, falling for the second straight day amid rising anxiety about the global economy. In a sign that the lift from last week's round of quantitative easing may have run its course, front-month oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed at $95.29 a barrel, down $1.33, or 1.4%, from Monday. Brent oil futures were down $1.99 to $111.80 per barrel. The drop came amid a fresh wave of anxiety about the euro zone and as U.S. economic bellwether Federal Express cut its profit forecast. Aside from those bearish factors, oil traders also reacted to reports Saudi Arabia plans to keep output high, analysts and traders said. Platinum futures fell by more than 2% Tuesday, after the announcement that striking workers at a South African mine owned by Lonmin PLC (LMI.LN) had accepted a wage increase and will return to work. The most-actively traded platinum contract, for October delivery, fell $36.30, or 2.2%, to settle at $1,636.30 a troy ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest settlement price since Sept. 11. Futures are still up 16.9% since the strike at Marikana began Aug. 10. Gold futures gained slightly Tuesday in muted trading as traders weighed whether the market's rally after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced new economic-stimulus measures was running out of steam. The most-actively traded contract, for December delivery, rose 60 cents to settle at $1,771.20 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the Nymex. COMPILED FROM MORRISON SECURITIES PTY. LTD.