S&P GLBL CLN ENGY : Nasdaq, S&P 500 drop as rally fizzles

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Nasdaq composite and the S&P 500 indexes fell on Tuesday as a sharp slide in oil prices hit shares of energy companies, including Exxon Mobil , while a drop in Apple Inc punctured an earlier rally in large-cap technology shares.

The Dow was off its best levels, hurt by declines in energy and natural resource companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 31.35 points, or 0.27 percent, to 11,574.90. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> shed 2.90 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,279.93. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> slipped 14.12 points, or 0.60 percent, to 2,353.40.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Kenneth Barry)