Stocks Ended Lower on Worries over Coronavirus Outbreak

U.S. stocks ended sharply lower on Friday after fears over the spread of the deadly coronavirus in China outweighed earlier optimism over strong corporate earnings results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 170.36 points, or 0.58%, to 28,989.73. The S&P 500 lost 30.07 points, or 0.90%, to 3,295.47. The Nasdaq Composite declined 87.57 points, or 0.93%, to 9,314.91.

Oil futures ended sharply lower Friday on fears the spread of the coronavirus in China elsewhere will undercut demand for crude. West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery fell $1.40, or 2.5%, to end at $54.19 a barrel and fell 7.5% for the week. March Brent crude gave up $1.35, or 2.2%, to close at $60.69 a barrel, contributing to a 6.4% weekly decline.