U.S. stocks lose most in 5 months on China Gold f

U.S. stocks lose most in 5 months on China
Gold falls $140, oil sinks under $90 on China growth fears

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock indexes fell the most in five months Monday, swept up in a rush out of gold, oil and other commodities, after reports from China showed the industrial giant’s growth had cooled.

Soured sentiment built as the session wore on, exacerbated by a drop in a gauge of U.S. home builders’ confidence. Some strategists said the pullback was expected after stock indexes notched records last week.

“The market is down because it’s extended. It has been going up in the face of bad macro news,” said Brian Belski, chief investment strategist at BMO Capital Markets. China was “a reality check,” he said.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI JIA) ended near its lows of the day, down 265.86 points, or 1.8%, to 14,599.20. The S&P 500 index (SNC:SPX) sank 36.49 points, or 2.3%, to 1,552.36. The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ:COMP) fell 78.46 points, or 2.4%, to 3,216.49.

As stocks fell, more investors piled in. Volume in New York Stock Exchange-listed stocks was 4.6 billion, the largest day in a month, and topping the year-to-date average of 3.5 billion. Total market volume was the largest this year, according to the Wall Street Journal’s data group.

Adding to market participants’ anxiety Monday afternoon were reports of explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stocks-dr...beforebell