U.S. stocks extended losses on Tuesday as financial shares slid sharply for a second straight day and investors worried that there are too few catalysts on the horizon to sustain the recent rally.

The slide pulled the benchmark S&P 500 below the psychologically important 900 support level for the first time in a week, on an intraday basis.

Technology shares were another big drag after their recent surge.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 48.58 points, or 0.58 percent, at 8,370.19. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 10.90 points, or 1.20 percent, at 898.34. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 31.62 points, or 1.83 percent, at 1,699.62.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Jan Paschal)