U.S. stocks close lower

NEW YORK, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended lower on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 184.93 points, or 0.44 percent, to 42,011.59. The S&P 500 sank 9.60 points, or 0.17 percent, to 5,699.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 6.65 points, or 0.04 percent, to 17,918.48.

Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with consumer discretionary and materials leading the laggards by dropping 1.28 percent and 1.15 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy and technology led the gainers by going up 1.58 percent and 0.60 percent, respectively.