The day's lows occurred late in the session, after Dow Jones Newswires reported that European Union finance ministers' four-hour teleconference failed to yield a new agreement to beef up the region's rescue funds, dashing traders' hopes for progress increasing the region's bailout powers.

WSJ: Stocks End on a Low Note

Recent polling suggests that the increasing violence and slow pace of progress are also taking a toll on support for the war in Canada.

CNN: Obama: No plans for additional troop increase in Afghanistan

George Osborne, the chancellor of the exchequer, made some progress in his most recent budget by increasing the tax relief available for investors in start-ups.

ECONOMIST: Entrepreneurship and technology