The Dow Jones industrial average fell 33 points, or 0.2 percent, to end at 17,511 on Tuesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped five points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,096, and the Nasdaq composite sank 32 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,059.
Wal-Mart's stock fell more than 3 percent after the retailer reported lower quarterly earnings and warned that its annual profit will likely fall short of previous estimates.
