FXstreet.com (San Francisco) - U.S. stocks ended in negative territory on Tuesday as investors remain cautious and largely sidelined ahead of meetings by the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 64.33 points, or 0.5% to 13,008.68. The S&P 500 lost 5.97 points, or 0.4% to 1,379.33. The Nasdaq shed 6.32 points, or 0.2% to 2,939.52.

From Brown Brothers Harriman: “Given the proximity and importance of the ECB meeting on Thurs and then national employment report on Friday, look for short-term volatility after the FOMC statement, but barring a significant surprise, most will keep with powder dry pending the other event risks.”