NEW YORK - US stocks ended mixed on Wednesday as an intensifying sell-off in technology shares clashed with anticipation for Alphabet's quarterly results.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.53 percent to 49,501.3. The S&P 500 sank 0.51 percent to 6,882.72. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 1.51 percent to 22,904.58.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with energy and materials leading the gainers by adding 2.25 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, technology and communication services led the laggards by falling 1.9 percent and 1.67 percent, respectively.

The technology-led decline was spearheaded by AMD, whose shares plummeted 17.31 percent after the chipmaker's first-quarter revenue forecast failed to meet elevated analyst expectations. Despite the sharp market reaction, AMD Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su emphasized that artificial intelligence demand is accelerating at an unprecedented pace.

The weakness spread throughout the semiconductor space, with Broadcom and Micron Technology losing 3.83 percent and 9.55 percent, respectively. Software equities also faced sustained downward pressure, extending a trend from the previous session. Oracle shed 5.17 percent and CrowdStrike lost 1.51 percent as investors adopted a more critical stance toward technology valuations.

JPMorgan analysts noted that the sector currently faces a high burden of proof. "We are now in an environment where the sector isn't just guilty until proven innocent, but is now being sentenced before trial," Toby Ogg, equity research analyst at JPMorgan Securities PLC, wrote in a note. "For software companies, better-than-expected results are no longer enough to convince the market."

On the economic front, private payroll data provided fresh evidence of a softening labor market. According to the ADP National Employment Report, private employers added only 22,000 jobs in January, falling significantly short of the 45,000 positions projected by economists.

"Hiring is softening. It continues a pattern that we've noticed for the past three years," Nela Richardson, ADP's chief economist, said on CNBC. "Employers are very reticent to hire in the current economy."

The private employment figures have taken on increased significance following the recent partial government shutdown, which disrupted the regular schedule of federal economic reporting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has officially rescheduled the release of the January nonfarm payrolls report for next Wednesday, leaving investors to rely on private indicators and corporate commentary to gauge the health of the US economy.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note remained a focal point as traders weighed the implications of slower job growth on future Federal Reserve policy. Market participants are now closely monitoring Alphabet's after-hours report.