US Stocks claw back from steep sell-off (ext)

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Stocks regained some lost ground in the last hour of trading Tuesday, but Japan's devastating earthquake and nuclear crisis still have investors on edge.

All three of the major U.S. stock indexes closed down about 1.2%, after plunging much deeper earlier in the day.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) posted a 138-point loss, after falling 297 points earlier. All but one of the 30 Dow components were in the red. The S&P 500 (SPX) fell 15 points and the Nasdaq (COMP) dropped 34 points.

A somewhat positive statement from the Federal Reserve, which would typically garner attention, failed to sway investors significantly in the afternoon.

"Everybody's looking at Japan over the Fed," said Phil Streible, a senior market strategist with Lind-Waldock. "People are scrambling and trying to figure out the specific impact of Japan's problems."

The Fed made no mention of the events in Japan. Markets are reeling from the staggering human and economic toll from Japan's 9.0-measure earthquake and subsequent tsunami last Friday, which killed at least 3,373 people.

Meanwhile, oil prices fell nearly 4% as investors pulled back after its recent run, and gold prices fell 2.3%.

The dollar rose versus the euro and the British pound, but fell slightly against the yen. Like the U.S. dollar, the yen is considered a safe-haven asset in times of economic uncertainty.