US stocks stablize after 3-day sell-off

A slump in energy stocks stymied a rebound in U.S. indexes Tuesday as the price of oil plunged the most in two years.

The decline in oil prices followed forecasts for weaker global demand this year and next, a sign of slowing economic growth. Chevron fell 2 percent, helping to drag down the Dow Jones industrial average in the waning moments of trading.

Even so, corporate earnings provided some encouragement to investors, helping to close the gap on losses after a three-day slump.

The modest rally provided a breather for investors. The Standard & Poor's 500 index has fallen 6.7 percent since hitting a record high on Sept. 18. Investors are worried that economies in Europe and Asia might be slowing.

The major stock indexes remained in positive territory until the last hour of trading, when they began to fade, threatening to deliver the second last-minute slide in two days.

By the end of the day, the Dow Jones industrial average had lost 5.88 points, or 0.04 percent, to 16,315.19. The S&P 500 index added 2.96 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,877.70.