NEW YORK: US equity markets plunged Thursday after oil and gold prices dropped, pulling energy and commodity stocks sharply lower.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 139.41 points (1.10 percent) to finish at 12,584.17.
The broader S&P 500 lost 12.22 (0.91 percent) at 1,335.10, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 13.51 points (0.48 percent) to 2,814.72.
Disappointing data on jobs cast a shadow over the market, one day before the government releases its much-awaited monthly unemployment report.
Early Thursday the Labor Department reported that initial jobless claims rose to 474,000 in the week ending April 30, a 10 percent increase from the prior week and an eight-month high.
Most analysts expected claims would fall, and the data raised fears that Friday's employment report would be dismal.
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