Stocks end mostly lower even as oil prices retreat

U.S. consumers have been monitoring their budgets more carefully in the face of higher energy prices, falling home values and an uncertain jobs climate. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that retail sales edged up by 0.1 percent in June, a weaker amount than expected, due to plummeting sales at car dealerships.

"The bottom line is, eventually, oil as a commodity is going to react to the overall economy," said Dan Alpert, managing director at the investment bank Westwood Capital.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 2.15, or 0.32 percent, to 662.35.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by nearly 3 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to a heavy 7.26 billion shares, up from 5.29 billion shares Monday.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 1.96 percent, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 2.42 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 1.91 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 1.96 percent.

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