The S&P 500 flirts with a record as U.S. stock-market investors return from a three-day weekend, awaiting minutes from the Federal Reserve's January meeting and data due later this week.

Stocks are drifting lower although still near a record high as a holiday-shortened week gets off to a sluggish start. The S&P 500 edged 0.1% lower in Tuesday afternoon trading and is just below its all-time closing high set last month.

The S&P 500 (SP500) finished at a closing high Tuesday, after investors spent a choppy session with their attention on geopolitics and potential deal-making. The benchmark S&P 500 (SP500) ended +0.2%,