U.S. stocks ended Monday’s session with losses for the second straight trading session, as a renewed assault on oil prices eroded investor confidence ahead of the start of fourth-quarter earnings season.
The S&P 500 SPX, -0.81% fell 16.55 points, or 0.8%, to 2,028.26, as nine of 10 main sectors finished lower. Energy sector lost 2.8%, while the technology sector was down 1.3%. Telecoms were the only bright spot, ending 0.6% higher.
The euro slumped to a near nine-year low against the dollar on Monday after a report that the European Central Bank is moving closer to announcing a full-scale quantitative-easing program.
The shared currency EURUSD, +0.02% traded as low as $1.1785, but eventually recovered to $1.1837, where it traded Friday afternoon. Last Thursday, the euro dropped to a low of $1.175, its lowest since December 2005.
After rising earlier in the session, the dollar fell against the yen to ¥118.2840, USDJPY, -0.01% compared to ¥118.50 late Friday.
The pound GBPUSD, -0.03% fell to $1.5112 from $1.5159.
Elsewhere in the energy complex, February gasoline RBG5, -0.46% gave up 4.87 cents, or 3.7%, to close at $1.2745 a gallon, while February heating oil HOG5, -0.74% dropped 4.89 cents, or 2.9%, to $1.6541 a gallon.
February natural gas NGG15, +0.82% plunged more than 15 cents, or 5.1%, to $2.7950 per million British thermal units, its lowest close since September 2012.