Fiscal Woes in Europe, U.S. Depress Stocks

They should depress you, too

Stocks on Wall Street closed lower on Tuesday, as fears about fiscal battles in Washington and the troubles in Greece tipped major indexes from gains to losses throughout the day. A surge in shares of Home Depot prevented a steeper drop for the Dow Jones industrial average.

The Dow closed down closed down 58.90 points, or 0.5 percent, at 12,756.18. It would have been lower without support from Home Depot, whose stock jumped 3.6 percent after the company beat expectations for its fiscal third-quarter earnings. Home Depot is benefiting from the gradual housing recovery and rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Sandy. Its stock rose $2.22 to $63.38.