US stocks fell on Tuesday as policymakers in Washington struggled to lock in a debt ceiling deal, with less than two weeks left until the government is due to default. Losses accelerated on Wall Street in the afternoon, as the blue-chip S&P 500 closed 1.1 per cent lower, pulled down by technology stocks. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 1.3 per cent. In contrast, the KBW regional banking index advanced 0.9 per cent.