NEW YORK: US stocks registered their biggest losses of the year Tuesday amid worries about the looming Greek debt swap deal and slowing growth in the global economy.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 203.66 points (1.57 percent) to end the day at 12,759.15. It was the blue-chip Dow's first 200-point-plus loss since November 23.

The broad-based SandP 500 shed 20.97 points (1.54 percent) to 1,343.36.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite slid 40.16 points (1.36 percent) to 2,910.32.

The three main indexes closed in the red for the third straight session after a solid start to the year.

The VIX, or so-called "fear" index, spiked higher, ending 15 percent higher.

Stocks were under pressure from "concerns that not enough private creditors will participate in Greece's impending bond swap, putting the struggling nation once again at risk for default," said Karee Venema at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Fresh data confirming the eurozone appears headed into recession, after shrinking by 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter, also weighed on sentiment.

That came after China's dampened growth outlook on Monday, and as Brazil reported a mere 0.3 percent expansion in the fourth quarter.

But Patrick O'Hare at Briefing.com said the markets were overextended and "due for a pullback."

"Declines that follow in the face of no new, adverse developments should only be seen as corrective in nature," he said.

Losses were broad-based. Intel was the only member of the Dow's 30 blue-chip stocks to finish in the green, barely, up 0.2 percent.

Financials were hit hard. Morgan Stanley lost 5.3 percent, Citigroup shed 4.6 percent and Bank of America lost 3.3 percent.

Apple, on the eve of its expected announcement of a new iPad tablet computer, slipped 0.5 percent.

American International Group dropped 4.4 percent after raising about $6 billion from the sale of part of its stake in AIA to help repay a government bailout. -- AFP