NEW YORK, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday as technology equities faced renewed selling pressure, while elevated crude oil prices and climbing government bond yields weighed on broader market sentiment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 116.38 points, or 0.22 percent, to 53,343.4. The benchmark S&P 500 sank 53.3 points, or 0.69 percent, to 7,691.76. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index shed 355.2 points, or 1.33 percent, to settle at 26,289.71.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in the red, with technology and industrials pacing the laggards by dropping 1.93 percent and 1.46 percent, respectively. On the advancing side, energy and healthcare led the gainers, rising 1.79 percent and 1.59 percent.

Geopolitical tensions remained in focus after U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States is not engaged in diplomatic talks with Iran and has no immediate plans to initiate new negotiations, though he maintained that the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains open and clear of naval mines.

Global energy benchmarks moved modestly higher. West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery rose 44 cents, or 0.52 percent, to settle at 84.94 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for October delivery added 15 cents, or 0.17 percent, to close at 91.02 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

Fixed-income pressures continued to mount as the yield on the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond reached a fresh 19-year high on Monday. Market strategists noted that while investors have remained focused on solid corporate earnings and artificial intelligence developments, elevated borrowing costs and persistent yield pressures pose ongoing headwinds for equity valuations.

Mega-cap technology equities finished mostly lower, extending broad-based declines from the previous session. Meta Platforms dropped an additional 4.45 percent, while semiconductor giant Nvidia fell 2.34 percent. Microsoft managed a fractional gain.

In post-earnings corporate moves, sportswear firm Amer Sports climbed more than 3 percent, while fintech firm Klarna Group tumbled nearly 23 percent. U.S.-listed shares Baidu slid almost 13 percent, and home improvement retailer Home Depot finished fractionally lower following the release of quarterly results.