Stocks slide to close - UPI.com NEW YORK, March 27 (UPI) -- U.S. stocks closed lower Tuesday as Monday's rally ran up against housing data and a slight drop in consumer confidence. The Conference Board, which tracks consumer sentiment, said the monthly index fell to 70.2 in March from February's figure, a 12-month high at 71.6. After strong gains Monday, the Dow Jones industrial average gave up 43.90 points or 0.33 percent to 13,197.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 3.99 points or 0.28 percent to 1,412.52. The Nasdaq composite index shed 2.22 points or 0.07 percent to 3,120.35. On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,257 stocks advanced and 1,761 declined on a volume of 3.3 billion shares traded. The 10-year benchmark treasury note rose 18/32 to yield 2.186 percent. The euro fell to $1.3328 from Monday's $1.3358.