Tech stocks drag down Wall St. as earnings worries weigh

U.S. stocks ended lower in a choppy trading session on Monday, dragged down by technology stocks amid lingering worries over interest rates and corporate earnings. The benchmark S&P 500 index teetered between positive and negative territory for much of the day but moved definitively lower in the last half-hour of trading. The Dow, which was positive for most of the session, reversed course. The technology index (SPLRCT) fell 1.6 percent, weighing the most on the S&P 500, while defensive sectors such as real estate <.SPLRCR>, consumer staples (SPLRCS) and utilities (SPLRCU) led the S&P's major sectors in percentage gains.The major stock indexes sold off sharply last week, which led to their sharpest weekly percentage declines in seven months. Investor concerns have mounted about the impact on corporate profits of tariffs and rising borrowing costs as the third-quarter earnings season kicks into high gear this week.S&P 500 companies on average are expected to report 21.6 percent year-over-year profit growth, a decrease from the previous two quarters, according to I/B/E/S data from Refinitiv.