New York - US stock markets closed with modest losses on Tuesday, climbing back from a steep initial sell-off sparked by fears that Europe's sovereign debt crisis was spiraling out of control.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 99.14 points to stand at 11 141.12 in closing trade.
The broader S&P 500 fell 8.55 points to 1 165.42, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slipped 6.33 points to 2 474.00.
US stocks fell more than 2% in early trade amid fears that European governments were faltering in their efforts to resolve the debt crisis and amid concerns over the United States's own flagging economy.