By Kate Gibson, MarketWatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks started with declines Thursday, with the S&P 500 extending losses into a third session, after economic reports showing contractions in manufacturing in Europe and China.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA -0.71% fell 60.54 points to 13,064.08.
The S&P 500 Index SPX -0.70% shed 9.01 points to 1,393.88.
The Nasdaq Composite COMP -0.29% declined 14.29 points to 3,060.03.
Another positive report on the American labor market failed to stem Wall Street’s losses, with the Labor Department reporting applications for jobless benefits last week declined to a four-year low. Read more about the American labor market’s gradual improvement.
Equities around the globe were hit after weaker-than-expected readings on manufacturing activity in France and Germany. See full story on data underlying euro-zone recession fears
And a March survey found new factory orders at a four-month low in China. Read more about slowdown
