Stocks eased off their worst levels Monday but still closed in negative territory as investors remained jittery ahead of the earnings season and amid renewed global growth concerns.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 36.18 points, or 0.28 percent, to end at 12,736.29, led by DuPont and Caterpillar. The blue-chip is down for the sixth-straight Monday.

The S&P 500 lost 2.22 points, or 0.16 percent, to finish at 1,352.46. The Nasdaq erased 5.56 points, or 0.19 percent, to close at 2,931.77.

The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, climbed above 18.

Most key S&P sectors finished in the red, led by energy, while health care eked out a small gain.

“We want to see if there’s a follow-through into earnings from the economic data we’ve seen which has been considerably weaker than it was earlier this year,” said Jason Pride, director of investment strategy at Glenmede. “We’re in the midst of a summer slowdown like we had in the past two years.”

Alcoa kicks off the earnings season after the close. The aluminum giant is expected to earn 5 cents a share, according analysts surveyed by Reuters.

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