NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Falling oil prices put a floor under an otherwise jittery market Tuesday morning, with investors in waiting mode ahead of key reads on housing and consumer confidence, and an afternoon speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

The Dow Jones industrial average (up 24.04 to 10,443.63, Charts) gained a few points in the early going, while the Standard & Poor's 500 (up 0.58 to 1,216.21, Charts) index and the Nasdaq composite (up 1.63 to 2,123.09, Charts) hovered near unchanged.

U.S. light crude oil for November delivery fell 34 cents to $65.48 a barrel in electronic trading, declining even as the Gulf of Mexico output remained on hold following Hurricane Rita.

Reports are due later in the session on consumer confidence and new home sales. Investors will also be attuned to a speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, speaking at a business economics conference.

In corporate news, WellPoint (unchanged at $75.09, Research) is close to buying WellChoice (unchanged at $70.60, Research), the leading health insurer in New York State, for about $6.5 billion in cash and stock, according to a New York Times report Tuesday.

Homebuilder Lennar (unchanged at $57.07, Research) reported higher quarterly earnings that topped estimates, and boosted its 2005 and 2006 earnings forecast, saying new home sales activity remains strong. Shares rose in the early going.

Treasury prices were higher, with the yield on the 10-year note slipping to 4.28 percent from 4.29 percent late Monday. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.

The dollar rose versus the euro and yen.

COMEX gold fell $2.80 to $466.70 an ounce.

In global trade, major Asian markets ended lower and most European markets were lower at midday.