Dow Ends Day Down 204

Stocks are ending broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in technology companies and banks, two of the highest-performing sectors over the last year. Retailers were also falling Thursday, the AP reports. Macy's slumped 10% after reporting its 10th straight decline in a key sales measure. Simmering tensions between the US and North Korea continued to weigh on investors. The VIX, a measure of how much volatility investors expect, jumped to its highest level since May. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 35 points, or 1.4%, to 2,438, its biggest drop since mid-May. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 204 points, or 0.9%, to 21,844. The Nasdaq lost 135 points, or 2.1%, to 6,216. (More stock market stories.)