U.S. STOCKS TUMBLED ON THURSDAY, WITH ALL INDEXES REGISTERING THEIR SECOND-WORST DAY OF THE YEAR AS A JUMP IN CRUDE OIL PRICES REVIVED WORRIES ABOUT INFLATION AND PROSPECTS FOR HIGHER INTEREST RATES, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. OIL PRICES SHOT HIGHER DUE TO SUPPLY WORRIES AFTER OUTAGES AT U.S. OIL REFINERIES, A DAY AFTER THE FED HINTED THAT MORE INTEREST-RATE HIKES MIGHT BE NEEDED TO KEEP INFLATION AT BAY. BASED ON THE LATEST AVAILABLE DATA, THE BLUE-CHIP DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE FELL 141.76 POINTS, OR 1.22 PERCENT, TO END UNOFFICIALLY AT 11,500.89. THE STANDARD & POOR'S 500 INDEX SLID 17.06 POINTS, OR 1.29 PERCENT, TO FINISH UNOFFICIALLY AT 1,305.79. THE NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX DROPPED 48.16 POINTS, OR 2.08 PERCENT, TO CLOSE UNOFFICIALLY AT 2,272.58.
