US stocks closed lower on Tuesday as one of the busiest days of the earnings season got under way, while oil prices slipped.

    The Dow Jones industrial average fell 53.76 points, or 0.3%, to close at 18,169.27, with Home Depot leading decliners and Procter & Gamble the top advancer. The S&P 500 slipped 8.17 points, or 0.38%, to end at 2,143.16, with consumer discretionary leading nine sectors lower and utilities and consumer staples the only advancers.  The Nasdaq dropped 26.43 points, or 0.5%, to 5,283.4.