How the major stock indexes fared Tuesday (AP)

More concerns about persistent European debt crisis has eclipsed small recovery in oil prices, Tuesday, leaving stocks slightly lower.

Oil rose nearly $ 2 to $ 99.59 per barrel after large banks raised their forecasts for the crude oil prices. Stocks fluctuated between gains and losses throughout the day, with Chevron Corp. and other companies of energy with the largest gains. Energy companies in the S & P 500 increased by 1.3%, most of the groups of ten of the industry in the index.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 25.05 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 12,356.21.

The standard & poor 500 index fell 1.09 point to 1,316.28.

The Nasdaq fell 12.74 or 0.5%, to 2,746.16.

For the week:

The Dow Jones index is 155.83 points, or 1.2%.

The standard & poor 500 index is 16.99, or 1.3%.

The Nasdaq composite is down 57.16, or 2.0%.

For the year to date:

The Dow Jones index is 778.70, or 6.7%.

The S & P is 58.64, or 4.7%.

The Nasdaq is 93.29, or 3.5 per cent.