Dow ends nearly 270 points lower as tech shares lose steam in afternoon trade

Stocks ended lower Tuesday as a bounce for tech-related shares ran out of steam in afternoon trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
-0.78%
fell around 267 points, or 0.8%, to close near 34,061, according to preliminary figures, while the S&P 500
SPX,
-0.85%
declined around 36 points, or 0.9%, to finish near 4,128. The Nasdaq Composite
COMP,
-0.56%
ended with a loss of around 75 points, or 0.6%, near 13,304. Stocks saw a mixed performance in early activity, with tech shares holding gains. A round of upbeat earnings from retailers were seen providing support but was offset by a weaker-than-expected reading on housing starts, analysts said.