Stocks fall as economic malaise spreads to Japan

6:39 AM, Aug 14, 2012   |    comments
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NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks fell Monday as evidence piled up that the global economic slowdown is dragging on Asia.

The losses broke the longest winning streak for the Standard & Poor's 500 index since December 2010. The index had risen for six straight days.

Japan's economy grew in the second quarter at a 1.4 percent annual rate, slower than many analysts had expected. Last week, China released dismal figures on retail sales and exports in July.

Slower growth in Asia worries investors because Asia's economic endurance has helped offset weakness in the U.S. and Europe in recent years. Exports from China and Japan are declining as Europe's economic woes hurt consumer confidence there.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 38.52 points at 13,169.43. The S&P 500 declined 1.76 to 1,404.11. The Dow is still up 7.8 percent for the year, the S&P 11.7 percent.

The S&P 500 and Dow have risen every week for the past five weeks. The S&P 500 last wrapped up a five-week climb in mid-March. The Dow hasn't done so since last October.

 

 

 

 

 

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