NEW YORK – Major US stock indices fell Wednesday to five-month lows after trading was suspended on the New York Stock Exchange for almost four hours on technical issues. Concerns about the global economy also pressured prices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 261 points, closing at 17,515.42. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined more than 34 points, at 2,046.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell almost 88 points, closing at 4,909.76.
In a statement, Thomas Farley, president of the NYSE, attributed the outage to a “configuration issue,” and not the result of a cyberattack.
The glitch occurred as United Airlines grounded all its flights worldwide after a router problem. The Wall Street Journal also reported technical problems with its web site.
