International stocks trading in New York closed lower on Tuesday. The Bank of New York index of American depositary receipts fell 0.54% to 155.14. The European index decreased 0.18% to 150.98, the Asian index dropped 1% to 153.8, the Latin American index fell 1.85% to 307.82 and the emerging markets index declined 1.36% to 314.16. Among the companies with shares that actively traded was Novo Nordisk AS (NVO, NOVO-B.KO).

Novo Nordisk received a favorable view from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on its diabetes drug Saxenda--which the the Danish pharmaceutical company wants to market as an anti-obesity treatment. The panel concluded Saxenda was effective for weight loss, while citing potential high blood pressure and pancreatitis risk. Shares rose 2.3% to $45.82.

Some stocks with the greatest exposure to Scotland remained under pressure Tuesday as investors weighed the possibility that Scottish voters vote for independence Sept. 18. Prudential Prudential PLC (PUK, PRU.LN) shares fell 44 cents to $46.15. However both Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (RBS, RBS.LN) and Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG, LLOY.LN)--which have fallen relatively sharply in recent sessions--rose as some investors saw an investment opportunity. RBS rose six cents to $11.07 and Lloyds increased 1.5% to $4.77.

ABB Ltd. (ABB, ABBN.VX, ABB.SK) plans to buy back up to $4 billion of its own shares as recently appointed Chief Executive Ulrich Spiesshofer tries to restore investor confidence in the world's largest maker of power grids, which has struggled with a slump in demand for conventional power equipment in Europe. The Swiss engineering group also laid out new medium-term revenue and profitability targets that are less ambitious than those it had set out in 2011 under previous CEO Joe Hogan. Shares rose 17 cents to $23.08.

Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com

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