Wall Street ends down as markets whipsaw ahead of Fed meeting

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 66.77 points, or 0.19%, to 34,297.73, the S&P 500 lost 53.68 points, or 1.22%, to 4,356.45 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 315.83 points, or 2.28%, to 13,539.30.

NEW YORK: U.S. stocks gyrated in afternoon trading to close lower with interest rate sensitive tech stocks weighing most heavily as uncertainties surrounding an increasingly hawkish Federal Reserve and rising geopolitical tensions contributed to the market's churn.

In a pattern similar to Monday, U.S. stocks whipsawed between steep losses and modest gains. Equities ended well off session lows, where the S&P 500 flirted once again with confirming a correction.