The slide in U.S. stocks continued on Thursday as investors fretted about employment and retail spending, two closely related aspects of the U.S. economy under increasing pressure. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which tumbled 245 points in the previous session, was recently down another 75 points, or 0.9%, at 8694.44. Its component Wal-Mart Stores, an important bellwether for the broader retail sector, fell almost 9% after scaling back earnings expectations. The chain's woes, which were part of a series of reports from major outlets, damped some investors' lingering hopes that discounters and other stores that cater to Americans' basic needs might weather the slowing economy relatively well. The S&P 500's consumer discretionary sector fell almost 2%, leading the broad measure down 0.6%, to 901.68 in recent action.

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