U.S. stocks close mixed

NEW YORK, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended mixed on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 466 points, or 0.94 percent, to 48,996.08. The S&P 500 sank 23.89 points, or 0.34 percent, to 6,920.93. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 37.1 points, or 0.16 percent, to 23,584.28.