US stocks slide, extending decline, as oil slumps

Barclays traders Anthony Rinaldi, left, and Michael McDonnell monitor stock information at their trading bay at the New York Stock Exchange during early trading, Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, in New York. U.S. stocks opened broadly higher Monday following the biggest weekly losses in two and a half years. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Barclays traders Anthony Rinaldi, left, and Michael McDonnell monitor stock information at their trading bay at the New York Stock Exchange during early trading, Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, in New York. U.S. stocks opened broadly higher Monday following the biggest weekly losses in two and a half years. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

By Associated Press December 15, 2014 1 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. stocks are closing lower, extending losses from last week.

The price of crude oil continued to drop Monday, and Russia’s ruble plunged to a record low against the dollar.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 100 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,180.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 12 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,989. The Nasdaq composite lost 48 points, or 1 percent, to 4,605.

Russia’s ruble plunged 13 percent against the dollar. The falling price of oil, which is the chief source of Russian exports and tax revenue, has weighed heavily on the currency.