Stocks fall sharply as Greek deal is held up

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks had their worst day of the year Friday after Greece hit a roadblock on its way to a critical bailout.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 89.23 points, or 0.7 percent, at 12,801.23. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 finished down 9.31 points to 1,342.64. It was the first losing week for S&P this year.

Just a day earlier, investors had bought stocks after Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and the heads of the three parties backing his government agreed to slash wages, lay off civil service workers and cut government spending.

That was seen as a step toward Greece's securing a $170 billion international bailout that it must have to avoid defaulting on its debt next month and sending a shock through the world financial system.

The decline in U.S. stocks was broad, with all 10 industry categories in the S&P 500 down. Materials stocks fell the most, down 1.8 percent. Energy and financial stocks both fell more than 1 percent.

The Nasdaq composite closed down 23.35 points at 2,903.88.

Since the start of the year, stocks have been generally rising on small daily gains because of good economic news and a sense that the worst of the debt crisis in Europe might be over. The Dow has risen 4.8 percent in 2012 and seemed poised earlier this week to break 13,000 for the first time since 2008.

At its low point Friday, the Dow was down 145 points. Its largest intraday loss so far this year was 159 points, on Jan. 13, but the Dow has not closed down more than 100 points since Dec. 28.

Upcoming Events