US stocks dip on fiscal cliff worries

In this Nov. 15, 2012, file photo, traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York. AP FILE PHOTO

NEW YORK—US stocks closed slightly lower Tuesday as Washington continued to wrangle over a budget plan that would avoid the year-end “fiscal cliff.”

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 14.05 points (0.11 percent) at 12,951.55 in closing trade.

The broad-market S&P 500 dipped 2.54 points (0.18 percent) to 1,406.92 while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite fell 5.51 (0.18 percent) to 2,996.69.