U.S. Stocks Close Down For Third Straight Day

U.S. stocks closed lower for a third day in a row Thursday, paring earlier losses, as investor confidence continued to slip. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 78.57 points, or 0.5%, to close at 16,201.32, after trading down as many as 264 points earlier in the session. The S&P 500 Index fell 6.53 points, or 0.3%, to close at 1,932.23. The index had been down about 30 points earlier in the session. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 18.27 points, or 0.4%, to finish at 4,734.48. The tech-heavy index had been down as many as 83 points earlier in the session.