Dow plunges nearly 800 points as Ukraine jitters linger

U.S. stocks sank on Monday as investors feared that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict would complicate inflation outlook and cloud the economy.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 797.42 points, or 2.37 percent, to 32,817.38. The S&P 500 fell 127.78 points, or 2.95 percent, to 4,201.09. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 482.48 points, or 3.62 percent, to 12,830.96.

Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with consumer discretionary and communication services down 4.8 percent and 3.74 percent, respectively, leading the laggards. Energy and utilities rose 1.57 percent and 1.31 percent, respectively, the only two gaining groups.

U. S.-listed Chinese companies traded mostly lower with nine of the top 10 stocks by weight in the S&P U.S. Listed China 50 index ending the day on a downbeat note.

The weakness came as the geopolitical risks over Ukraine continued to grip investors.

For the week ending Friday, the Dow and the S&P 500 both slid 1.3 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 2.8 percent.