session spike came after oilfield-services firm Baker Hughes reported the number of U.S. rigs in operation fell by another 94 last week. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 250.75, or 1.4 percent, to 17,166.10. Visa was the only component in the 30-stock index to advance, gaining 3 percent after reporting better-than-expected profit. Losers were led by technology giants Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco, as well as Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer. Chevron fell after reporting a 30 percent drop in profit. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 26.21, or 1.3 percent, to 1,995.04. In a reversal from most recent sessions, energy was the best performing of the index's 10 sectors. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 48.17, or 1 percent, to 4,635.24. Shares of online retailer Amazon.com jumped nearly 14 percent following the release of the U.S. consumer-sentiment report.
