NEW YORK — Disappointing earnings news helped push the stock market lower on Tuesday.

Electronics retailer Best Buy plunged after saying extended store hours and price-cutting could squeeze its fourth-quarter profit. Campbell Soup fell sharply after reporting that its profit slumped as sales of soups and V8 drinks fell. The two stocks were the biggest decliners in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Even with the slight decline the S&P 500 is still up 25 percent so far in 2013 and has risen for six weeks straight, the longest winning streak since February.

“We’ve had a phenomenal run, particularly in the last few weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if we would pull back from here,” said Alec Young of S&P Capital IQ.

The Dow Jones industrial average edged down 8.99 points, or 0.1 percent, to 15,967.03, the first decline for the index in five days. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 3.66 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,787.87 and the Nasdaq composite fell 17.51 points, or 0.4 percent, to 3,931.55.

The Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 crossed round-number milestones in early trading Monday but failed to build on those advances.

Retailers were a key focus on Tuesday. Consumer spending is a critical component of the U.S. economy, so how consumers behave during the closely watched holiday season will give investors a sign about the outlook for growth.

Best Buy sank $4.78, or 11 percent, to $38.78 after its warning of a tough holiday trading period ahead. The company’s stock is still up 227 percent this year, making it the second-best performer in the S&P 500 after Netflix.

Campbell Soup dropped $2.61, or 6.2 percent, to $39.20 after reporting that its quarterly profit plunged 30 percent.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.