-- The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 retreated from record highs as technology stocks fell following a report flagging potential trouble at artificial intelligence leader OpenAI.
The Nasdaq fell 0.9% to 24,663.8, while the S&P 500 shed 0.5% to 7,138.8. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.1% to 49,141.9. Six of the 11 sectors were in the green, led by energy, while technology saw the steepest decline.
Tech bellwether Nvidia (NVDA) lost 1.6%, the second-worst performer on the Dow. Broadcom (AVGO), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Oracle (ORCL), and Intel (INTC) also declined.
OpenAI recently missed its own targets for new users and revenue, The Wall Street Journal reported. Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar told other companies that OpenAI may not be able to pay for computing contracts if revenue growth doesn't accelerate, The Journal reported.
Wedbush Securities dismissed such concerns.
"Overall, we believe OpenAI has been tracking very high demand on both the consumer and enterprise front and we strongly disagree with the notion that growth is weakening," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a client note Tuesday. "We believe that recent concerns around OpenAI are overblown with the company having enough capital to fulfill its compute capacity needs over at least the next three years following the company's recent $122 billion funding round."
In other company news, Coca-Cola (KO) lifted its full-year earnings growth outlook on Tuesday as the beverages giant posted fiscal first-quarter results above market expectations amid pricing and volume gains. The stock advanced 3.9%, the best performer on the Dow.
Spotify Technology (SPOT) shares tumbled 12% after the audio-streaming platform's premium subscriber growth and outlook disappointed investors.
West Texas Intermediate crude was up 3.7% at $99.89 per barrel in Tuesday late-afternoon trade, while Brent crude climbed 2.7% to $111.16.
US President Donald Trump and national security officials are skeptical of Iran's new offer to open the Strait of Hormuz and delay talks on uranium enrichment, The Journal reported, citing American officials.
Mediators in Pakistan expect a revised proposal from Iran in the next few days to end the war, CNN reported, citing sources close to the mediation process.
Elsewhere in the world, the United Arab Emirates has decided to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Friday, in a move that Rystad Energy said makes the cartel "structurally weaker."
The UAE is one of the few OPEC members, including Saudi Arabia, that have spare capacity, Rystad said in a note. OPEC uses a production quota system to stabilize global oil markets.
"Its departure therefore removes one of the core pillars underpinning OPEC's ability to manage the market," Rystad Head of Geopolitical Analysis Jorge Leon wrote.
The Federal Reserve's monetary policy committee kicked off its two-day meeting on interest rates, with a decision due Wednesday. Markets widely expect the central bank to keep its benchmark lending rate unchanged for a third consecutive meeting. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will hold a post-meeting press conference at 2:30 pm ET tomorrow.
"Investors will be listening closely for an updated assessment of economic conditions, particularly inflation, in the wake of the ongoing conflict overseas," Stifel Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza said in a report e-mailed to.
"A rising level of concern could signal a willingness to hold rates steady for a prolonged period of time or even open up the possibility of a rate hike, while any mention of a temporary or expected 'transitory' impact will likely bolster expectations for a potential return to rate cuts," Piegza said.
In economic news, US consumer confidence rose in April amid an improvement in labor market perceptions, though there were concerns about elevated gasoline prices driven by the Middle East conflict, according to a survey by the Conference Board.
US Treasury yields were higher, with the 10-year rate up 1.1 basis points at 4.36% and the two-year rate rising 4.5 basis points to 3.85%.
Gold was down 1.8% at $4,609 per troy ounce, while silver lost 2.6% to $73.10 per ounce.