01:40 PM EDT, 03/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were mixed after midday Monday as markets parsed the latest economic data and awaited the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision due later in the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.6% at 41,737.9 intraday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 5,652.8. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3% to 17,704.8. Among sectors, energy paced the gainers, while consumer discretionary saw the steepest decline.

In economic news, retail sales in the US rose less than Wall Street's projections amid declines in the motor vehicle and gasoline components, data from the Census Bureau showed.

"Consumers are clearly becoming more discerning in their spending," BMO said. Separately, TD Economics said consumer spending is expected to be "much softer" this year amid concerns about an intensifying trade war that is adding to worries about inflation.

US homebuilder confidence unexpectedly dropped in March to the lowest in seven months amid tariff and macroeconomic headwinds, according to National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo data.

"Builders continue to face elevated building material costs that are exacerbated by tariff issues, as well as other supply-side challenges that include labor and lot shortages," NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes said.

New York manufacturing activity dropped into steeper-than-expected contraction territory this month as both orders and shipments turned negative, the New York Fed said.

US Treasury yields were mixed intraday, with the two-year rate rising one basis point to 4.02% and the 10-year rate dropping 2.9 basis points to 4.28%.

The central bank's Federal Open Market Committee is widely expected to again hold interest rates steady Wednesday, following a pause in January, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

"Maintaining a solid assessment of economic conditions and hiring, as well as the still-elevated level of inflation, the Fed is likely to show little adjustment in expectations for additional policy cuts, at least in the near term, as the committee continues to assess the incoming data and 'uncertainty' surrounding tariffs and the Trump administration's fiscal policy agenda," Stifel said in a Monday note.

In company news, Intel's ( INTC ) incoming chief executive, Lip-Bu Tan, is considering significant changes to the company's chip manufacturing and artificial intelligence strategies as part of turnaround efforts, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. The chipmaker's shares were up 8.2%, the top gainer on the S&P 500 and among the best on the Nasdaq.

Walmart ( WMT ) is making Klarna the exclusive provider of its buy now, pay later loans, a win for the Swedish fintech over its rival Affirm (AFRM), CNBC reported, citing unnamed sources. Walmart ( WMT ) shares rose 2.3%, the best performer on the Dow, while Affirm sank 8.1%.

Tesla (TSLA) saw the second-steepest decline on the S&P 500, down 5.5%. The electric vehicle maker is offering a free trial of its Full Self-Driving service in China, Reuters reported, citing the company's Chinese website.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.5% at $67.48 a barrel intraday.

Gold rose 0.1% to $3,003.70 per troy ounce, while silver dropped 0.6% to $34.23 per ounce.

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