Wall Street stocks treaded water early Tuesday as markets monitored ongoing stimulus talks in Washington and awaited an address later in the day from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Major indices were mixed in the early going after President Donald Trump returned to the White House following a three-day stay at Walter Reed military hospital to treat his coronavirus infection. About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.2 percent at 28,197.50. The broad-based S&P 500 shed 0.1 percent to 3,403.87, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 0.4 percent to 11,284.60. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were expected to extend ongoing talks on another fiscal package to boost the US economy. The two sides have been talking for weeks and sending ambiguous signals on the likelihood of a deal. Powell, who has repeatedly said additional stimulus is needed to support the economy, is slated to speak later Tuesday at a conference of the National Association for Business Economics. Data released Tuesday showed the US trade deficit rose 5.9 percent from July to $67.1 billion, increasing more than expected but posting a more moderate jump than the nearly 19 percent surge in the month prior. jmb/cs