By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
WALL STREET — The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed below 10,000 points for the first time in three months amid jitters over the instability of global markets, which has overshadowed strong U.S. economic data.
The Dow, which was up 135 at its morning high, slipped by 69.30 points to end at 9,974.45, marking its lowest close since Feb. 8. The S&P 500 index lost 6 points, or 0.6 percent, and the Nasdaq lost 15 points, the equivalent of 0.7 percent
The market's tumble was attributed in part to a weakening of the euro against the dollar late in trading, underscoring fear in the market from global economic uncertainty.
The afternoon slide also came despite the US government's morning release of better-than-anticipated reports on durable goods orders and the U.S. housing market.
Stocks have fallen significantly in May, with the three major indexes each losing more than 10 percent as the market has fallen into a correction mode, with worries that Europe's debt crisis is going to spill into U.S. and global economic growth.
