NEW YORK - US stocks ended lower on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 84.41 points, or 0.18 percent, to 46,124.06. The S&P 500 sank 24.63 points, or 0.37 percent, to 6,556.37. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 184.865 points, or 0.84 percent, to 21,761.894.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with energy and materials leading the gainers by going up 2.05 percent and 1.67 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, communication services and real estate led the laggards by dropping 2.50 percent and 0.76 percent, respectively.