U.S. stocks fall on Bernanke remarks

New York -- U.S. stock indexes fell Tuesday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the housing slump remained a ''significant drag'' on the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 85.19 points, or 0.61 percent, to 13,899.61 in mid-morning trading. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 9.67 points, or 0.62 percent, at 1,539.04.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index lost 16.95 points, or 0.61 percent, at 2,763.10.

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index finished the day down 220.23 points, or 1.27 percent, at 17,137.92. The broader Tokyo Stock Price Index, or Topix, fell 1.19 percent at 1,625.25.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was up 10/32, yielding 4.641 percent, while the 30-year bond was up 13/32, yielding 4.889 percent.

The U.S. dollar fell to 116.57 yen from 117.29 yen in New York late Friday. The euro fell to $1.4165 from $1.4201.

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