Stocks Ended Lower, Weighed by Financial and Energy Shares

U.S. stocks ended lower on Thursday for a third straight day as weak oil weighed on the energy sector while financial shares fell following earnings from major banks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 138.61 points, or 0.67%, to 20,453.25, closing out the week 1% lower. The S&P 500 dropped 15.98 points, or 0.68%, to 2,328.95, down for 1.1% for the week. The Nasdaq Composite declined 31.01 points, or 0.53%, to 5,805 for a weekly fall of 1.2%.

Oil prices posted a slight gain Thursday, notching a third consecutive weekly advance, as traders continued to weigh the prospects and timing for a balance between supply and demand in the market. Crude oil for May delivery rose 7 cents, or 0.1%, to settle at $53.18 a barrel. It settled 1.8% above last Friday’s finish. Brent for June added 3 cents, or less than 0.1%, to $55.89 a barrel—up about 1.2% for the week.