eight of the index's 30 components fell, with Microsoft, Intel, American Express, and Alcoa each sinking more than 2.3 percent. Wal-Mart, JP Morgan Chase, and Verizon were the only stocks making gains. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 9.21, or 0.8 percent, to 1,137.03. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 26.23, or 1.1 percent, to 2,344.52.