DOW - Critical resistance was too tough to clear!

Dow

11,706.62

-207.00

-1.74%

By: JeeYeon Park

CNBC.com Writer

Stocks plunged sharply Tuesday to close at session lows amid jitters over the euro zone's ability to find a solution to the ongoing debt crisis.

“I’m shocked stocks aren’t actually lower today,” said Brian Battle, vice president of trading at Performance Trust Capital Partners, citing the final hour's sell off to traders' reluctance to hold positions overnight ahead of the summit.


The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 207 points, or 1.74 percent, to close at 11,706.62.

The S&P 500 slumped 25.14 points, or 2 percent, to end at 1,229.05. The Nasdaq fell 61.02 points, or 2.26 percent, to finish at 2,638.42.


The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, soared more than 10 percent to close above 32.