Investing.com – U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Technology, Industrials and Consumer Goods sectors led shares lower.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.65%, while the S&P 500 index declined 1.34%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 1.89%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), which rose 0.35% or 0.41 points to trade at 119.16 at the close. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) fell 0.17% or 0.17 points to end at 102.09 and 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) was down 0.37% or 0.61 points to 163.63 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which fell 9.25% or 4.35 points to trade at 42.66 at the close. Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) declined 7.18% or 6.18 points to end at 79.85 and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) was down 4.51% or 1.61 points to 34.19.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (NYSE:DO) which rose 4.48% to 34.28, Nabors Industries Ltd (NYSE:NBR) which was up 4.12% to settle at 11.88 and Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) which gained 3.43% to close at 24.73.
The worst performers were Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) which was down 9.25% to 42.66 in late trade, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) which lost 7.18% to settle at 79.85 and Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX) which was down 6.03% to 18.38 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were NF Energy Saving Corporation (NASDAQ:NFEC) which rose 44.52% to 2.110, Nanosphere Inc (NASDAQ:NSPH) which was up 34.75% to settle at 0.318 and Escalera Resources Co (NASDAQ:ESCR) which gained 34.21% to close at 0.51.
The worst performers were Sterling Construction Company Inc (NASDAQ:STRL) which was down 28.08% to 3.97 in late trade, STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA) which lost 21.88% to settle at 5.75 and J & J Snack Foods Corp (NASDAQ:JJSF) which was down 14.28% to 98.25 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1854 to 935 and 3 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1743 fell and 1000 advanced, while 4 ended unchanged.
Shares in Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) fell to 52-week lows; falling 7.18% or 6.18 to 79.85. Shares in Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) rose to 5-year highs; rising 3.43% or 0.82 to 24.73. Shares in Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) fell to 52-week lows; down 7.18% or 6.18 to 79.85. Shares in Sterling Construction Company Inc (NASDAQ:STRL) fell to 3-year lows; down 28.08% or 1.55 to 3.97. Shares in STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA) fell to 52-week lows; down 21.88% or 1.61 to 5.75.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 12.37% to 17.44.
Gold for April delivery was up 1.09% or 14.00 to $1294.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude Oil for delivery in March rose 1.83% or 0.82 to hit $45.98 a barrel, while the March Brent Oil contract rose 2.22% or 1.07 to trade at $49.23 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 1.25% to 1.1378, while USD/JPY fell 0.51% to 117.85.
The US Dollar Index was down 1.08% at 94.25.