Stocks end sharply lower as global growth worries

Stocks fell sharply and ended near session lows Friday as a round of disappointing economic data out of Europe and an inversion of the U.S. Treasury yield curve stoked worries over global growth. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped around 460 points, or 1.8%, to end near 25,503, according to preliminary data, while the S&P 500 shed 1.9% to close near 2,801. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.5% to end near 7,643. Equities began the session on a weak note after purchasing-managers-index readings across Europe came in weaker than expected. Losses were extended after a measure of the yield curve inverted, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note falling below the yield on the 3-month T-bill. An inversion is seen as a reliable recession indicator, typically preceding such downturns by around a year or more.

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