NEW YORK, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 878.82 points, or 1.9 percent, to 45,479.6. The S&P 500 sank 182.6 points, or 2.71 percent, to 6,552.51. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 820.2 points, or 3.56 percent, to close at 22,204.43.
Ten of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended lower, with technology and consumer discretionary leading the laggards by dropping 3.97 percent and 3.29 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, consumer staples bucked the trend by going up 0.25 percent.
U.S. consumer sentiment remained broadly unchanged in early October despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, concerns about the labor market and persistent inflation, according to a University of Michigan (UM) survey released Friday.
"Pocketbook issues like high prices and weakening job prospects remain at the forefront of consumers' minds," said Joanne Hsu, director of the UM's monthly Surveys of Consumers. "Meanwhile, interviews reveal little evidence that the ongoing federal government shutdown has moved consumers' views of the economy thus far." ■
