Stocks fell on Monday as caution about the latest earnings season derailed an early bounce, and investors fretted about the survival of CIT Group Inc , which provides financing to many small and mid-sized businesses.

CIT shares tumbled 26.1 percent to $1.13 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Shares of big-cap technology bellwethers, including Research In Motion Ltd and Cisco Systems Inc weighed on Nasdaq.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 12.55 points, or 0.15 percent, at 8,133.97. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 3.47 points, or 0.39 percent, at 875.66. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 18.43 points, or 1.05 percent, at 1,737.60.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)