New York  - US stocks slipped Tuesday, led by a drop in health-insurance shares as a key Senate panel voted to overhaul the industry.

Financial shares also dropped, but major Wall Street indices ended the day nearly even after rising commodity prices stoked a rally among energy and metals firms.

The health-care industry posted losses amid concerns that a major reform effort in Congress - designed to expand access to insurance and rein in costs - could hurt profits at insurers.

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved a version of the health-care legislation that is considered to have the best chance of passing the full Congress.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 14.74 points, or 0.15 per cent, closing at 9,871.06. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 3 points, or 0.28 per cent, to 1,073.19. The technology- heavy Nasdaq Composite Index edged up 0.75 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 2,139.89.

The US currency fell to 67.37 euro cents from 67.68 euro cents on Monday. The dollar slipped against the Japanese currency to 89.65 yen from 89.81 yen.  dpa