US stocks fall as tech selloff spreads; Dow on track to end year in the red

US stocks tumbled on Tuesday, putting major US indexes at risk of closing below their October lows and wiping out yearly gains. What started as a technology company selloff bled into other corners of the market, as investors dumped shares of everything from retailers to oil-and-gas companies in favor of relatively safe assets such as bonds and reliable dividend payers like utility companies.

The result: Some traders who stepped in to scoop up shares in late October, hoping for a quick rebound, are now in danger of losing those potential profits and more. That puts the stock market in a