Stocks Ended Sharply Lower on Christmas Eve

U.S. stocks ended sharply lower on Monday, booking their worst trading session on the eve of Christmas in history. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 653.17 points, or 2.91%, to 21,0792.20. The S&P 500 fell 65.52 points, or 2.71%, to 2,351.10. The Nasdaq Composite declined 140.08 points, or 2.21%, to 6,192.92.

Crude-oil futures settled sharply lower Monday amid nagging concerns about global crude output and fears of an economic slowdown internationally that may erode demand. February West Texas Intermediate fell $3.06, or 6.7%, to $42.53 a barrel. February Brent declined $3.35, or 6.2%, to end at $50.47 a barrel.