U.S. stocks closed down Friday, after a late-day sell-off sent stocks down more than 1 percent. Despite Friday's losses, all three indexes ended May in the black. The Dow and S&P 500 both gained about 2 percent, while the Nasdaq advanced nearly 4 percent. It was the first time the Dow has ended higher in May since 2009, and it marked the sixth monthly gain for the index. So far this year, the major gauges are all up about 16 percent. In U.S. economic news, an index of consumer sentiment rose in May to the highest level in nearly six years. The final reading of the Reuters/University of Michigan index showed that consumers are becoming more optimistic about the economy. But a separate report showed that personal income and spending both fell in April, surprising economists who had predicted a rise. Meanwhile, the Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index bounced back in April, rising to the highest level since March 2012. In international economic news, unemployment in the eurozone region hit a record high of 12.2 percent last month, according to the latest statistics from Eurostat. In corporate news, Krispy Kreme said that sales and earnings jumped in the first quarter, sending shares of the doughnut maker up 13 percent. Lions Gate shares rose after the media company said sales jumped 71 percent in the past fiscal year. Shares of Palo Alto Networks plunged after the technology company swung to a big loss in the most recent quarter. Nasdaq said that Netflix will join the Nasdaq-100 June 6, replacing healthcare supplier Perrigo. The dollar fell against the euro, the pound, and the yen. Light sweet crude oil for July delivery dropped $1.64 to $91.97 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures lost $18.90 to $1,392.60 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 208.96, or 1.36 percent, to 15,115.57. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 23.67, or 1.43 percent, to 1,630.74. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index dropped 35.39, or 1.01 percent, to 3,455.91.
