Stocks Wipe Out Early Gains, End Sharply Lower On Rate-hike Fears

U.S. stocks ended broadly lower Wednesday, wiping out early gains after strong data on job openings stoked fears the Federal Reserve could move to hike interest rates as early as next week. Based on preliminary numbers, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended with a loss of 239.11 points, or 1.4%, at 16,253.57 after posting triple-digit gains in early trade. The S&P 500 fell 27.36 points, or 1.4%, to finish at 1,942.05, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 55.40 points, or 1.2% to 4,756.52.