The Dow Jones index fell for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday.
But the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended higher as rising oil prices lifted energy shares.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 25.41 points, or 0.3%, at 8,448.56.
Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 1.53 points, or 0.18%, to 871.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 7.67 points, or 0.5%, at 1,546.46.
Trading was volatile. The S&P 500 has gained nearly 18% since late November, but has lost about 3% since last week.
Trading was moderate about 1.31 billion shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange - below last year's estimated daily average of roughly 1.9 billion.
About 2 billion shares were traded on the Nasdaq - below last year's daily average of 2.17 billion.
