U.S. stocks close lower

NEW YORK, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 140.82 points, or 0.32 percent, to 44,424.25. The S&P 500 sank 17.47 points, or 0.29 percent, to 6,101.24. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 99.38 points, or 0.50 percent, to 19,954.3.