DHAKA: US stocks got off to a weak start on the first day of trading in the fourth quarter with all the main indexes closing lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which fell sharply in the first few minutes of trade, recovered some of its losses to close 0.3% lower at 18,253.85.

Meanwhile, the more tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.2% to 5,300.87 and the broader S&P 500 index fell 0.3% to 2,168.27.

Healthcare and consumer goods were hardest-hit, with Pfizer falling 0.6%.

Rival pharmaceutical firm Procter & Gamble shed 1.2%, reports the BBC.

Last week, investors were rattled by woes at Deutsche Bank, amid concerns over the troubled lender’s financial health.

On Monday, the bank’s shares were not trading in its native Germany because of a public holiday, but its New York-listed stocks were down more than 2%.

On the upside, reports that Netflix was being eyed as a possible acquisition by Disney pushed its shares 4.1% higher.

Twitter shares also jumped over 4% on speculation that it too could be in the sights of Disney.

BDST: 1400 HRS, OCT 04, 2016
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