(Reuters) - U.S. equities swerved between positive and negative territory on Tuesday as investors eyed mixed economic data and corporate news while Federal Reserve comments calmed some nerves. Weaker than expected housing data contrasted with a rosy consumer confidence reading while home improvement retailer Home Depot Inc was one of the biggest drags on the S&P after it blamed bad weather for missed Wall Street forecasts. JPMorgan Chase & Co, the biggest U.S. bank by assets, warned that it expects rising costs for deposits, a key part of its business, and slowing global economic growth. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell told a U.S. Senate Banking Committee that the Fed would remain "patient" in deciding on further interest rate hikes and that rising risks and recent soft data should not prevent solid growth for the economy this year.

Source: New York Times February 26, 2019 13:01 UTC