@Frisbee:U.S. stocks plunged Tuesday as the prospect of higher-for-longer interest rates and letdowns from big-box retailers dampened the mood on Wall Street to start a busy holiday-shortened week. The U.S. stock and bond markets were closed on Monday for Presidents Day. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) nosedived 2%, falling below the key 4,000 level, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) shed nearly 700 points, or 2.1%. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) tanked 2.5%. Investors evaluated quarterly financials from Walmart (WMT) and the Home Depot (HD) for updates on the health of the U.S. consumer, which has so far remained resilient in the face of stubbornly high inflation — most recently evidenced by January's stunning retail sales data out last week. Walmart, however, warned Tuesday mor