U.S. stocks close lower

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 696.75 points, or 1.63 percent, to 41,938.45. The S&P 500 sank 91.21 points, or 1.54 percent, to 5,827.04. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 317.25 points, or 1.63 percent, to 19,161.63.

Ten of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with real estate and financials leading the laggards by losing 2.46 percent and 2.45 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy bucked the trend by adding 0.34 percent.