Stocks sank Wednesday as a sharp drop in the price of oil dragged down energy companies. U.S. crude closed below $40 a barrel for the first time since August after the government reported a surprise jump in inventories, suggesting slack demand.
For Wednesday:
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 158.67 points, or 0.9 per cent, to 17,729.68.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 23.12 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 2,079.51.
The Nasdaq composite index fell 33.08 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 5,123.22.
For the week:
The Dow is down 68.81 points, or 0.4 per cent.
The S&P 500 is down 10.60 points, or 0.5 per cent.
The Nasdaq composite is down 4.30 points, or 0.1 per cent.
For the year:
The Dow is down 93.39 points, or 0.5 per cent.
The S&P is up 20.61 points, or 1 per cent.
The Nasdaq is up 387.17 points, or 8.2 per cent.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.