U.S. stocks close lower

NEW YORK, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 173.18 points, or 0.41 percent, to 42,156.97. The S&P 500 sank 53.73 points, or 0.93 percent, to 5,708.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 278.81 points, or 1.53 percent, to 17,910.36.

Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with technology and real estate leading the laggards by dropping 2.66 percent and 0.66 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy and utilities led the gainers by going up 2.23 percent and 0.81 percent, respectively.