Stocks fell on Tuesday as financial shares reversed earlier gains due to lingering uncertainty about efforts to shore up the financial system.

Investors look for testimony by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to shed light on the financial rescue plan. Geithner is due to testify on Capitol Hill at 12:30 p.m..

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was off 26.92 points, or 0.40 percent, to 6,736.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> lost 4.63 points, or 0.66 percent, to 696.19. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 3.93 points, or 0.30 percent, at 1,318.92.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by James Dalgleish)

Timothy geithner