“11:30 am : Tech stocks had made an attempt to turn higher earlier this morning, but the move lost momentum as it approached the neutral line. Subsequent selling pressure has left the sector to descend to a session low so that it trades with a 0.7% loss.

Among Tech issues, heavyweights like Google (GOOG 649.45, -6.31),Microsoft (MSFT 31.88, -0.31), and Apple (AAPL 611.20, -6.42) are having the most adverse impact on the sector. Intel (INTC 27.81, +0.01) is holding steady at the flat line, however. DJ30 -74.17 NASDAQ -27.21 SP500 -11.84 NASDAQ Adv/Vol/Dec 510/570 mln/1835 NYSE Adv/Vol/Dec 550/230 mln/2280

11:00 am : Stocks recently chopped their way down to a new session low, taking the S&P 500 even farther below the 1400 line. There isn’t a single sector in positive territory.

Financials, now down 1.6%, continue to weigh heavy on trade. Their weakness today contrasts with the relative strength they displayed in the prior session, when the sector staged a late rally that helped the broad market halve its loss. Banks led the prior session’s upswing, but they’re leading losses in the latest round of action. DJ30 -65.61 NASDAQ -22.12 SP500 -10.78 NASDAQ Adv/Vol/Dec 465/445 mln/1825 NYSE Adv/Vol/Dec 495/185 mln/2300

10:35 am : Natural gas prices have been in the red all morning and were recently down about 1.8% ahead of weekly inventory numbers. Weekly inventories experienced a build of 57 bcf, which contrasts with the consensus call for a build of 50 bcf. On the back of that report natural gas prices have tumbled to $2.18 per MMBtu for a 4.6% loss.

11:47AM European Markets Closing Prices (SUMRX) : European markets are now closed; stock markets across Europe performed as follows:

• UK’s FTSE: -1.1%
• Germany’s DAX: -1.7%
• France’s CAC: -1.4%
• Spain’s IBEX: -0.7%
• Portugal’s PSI: -1.4%
• Italy’s MIB Index: -3.1%
• Irish Ovrl Index: -1.6%
• Greece ATHEX Composite: -2.4%

11:29AM New session low Nasdaq Comp -27, S&P -12 and Dow -77 hovering slightly above morning troughs (SPY) :

11:15AM Alexion Pharma reports data from Phase 2 study of asfotase alfa in adolescents and adults with hypophosphatasia: significantly decreased TNSALP substrates and improved 6 minute walk test results (ALXN) 90.04 -0.18 : Co announced data from a Phase 2 study of asfotase alfa in adolescents and adults with hypophosphatasia (HPP), a severe and ultra-rare metabolic disorder. In the study, all patients who were treated with asfotase alfa had an objective response to therapy as indicated by a reduction in tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) substrates. In addition, treated patients demonstrated improvement in the six-minute walk test.”