A steep slide in shares of semiconductor companies was dragging on the Nasdaq Composite on Tuesday afternoon, putting the tech-heavy index on track for a rare underperformance versus the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

U.S. stocks finished mixed on Tuesday as a sell-off in tech stocks weighed on the broader market. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) fell 37.78 points, or 0.6%, to 6,411.37, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) tumbled 314.82 points, or 1.5%, to 21,314.95.

The Nasdaq and S&P 500 fell on Wednesday as investors sold tech stocks and moved into less highly valued sectors, as they also awaited remarks from Federal Reserve officials at their Jackson Hole symposium this week.