Stock markets subdued as investors assess flurry of earnings

US and European stocks were slightly lower on Tuesday as investors assessed the latest flurry of corporate earnings and business activity surveys for clues about the health of the global economy. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 closed the day down 0.1 per cent. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.3 per cent. The muted activity came after trading in dozens of blue-chip stocks were briefly halted following problems with the New York Stock Exchange’s opening auction.