U.S. stocks close lower

NEW YORK, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 324.80 points, or 0.75 percent, to 42,740.42. The S&P 500 sank 44.59 points, or 0.76 percent, to 5,815.26. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 187.10 points, or 1.01 percent, to 18,315.59.

Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with energy and technology leading the laggards by dropping 3.04 percent and 1.79 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, real estate and consumer staples led the gainers by going up 1.23 percent and 0.64 percent, respectively.