Stocks in the United States fell on Thursday on concerns that the Federal Reserve's latest efforts to stem the US recession are too costly and untested.
Investors were unsettled by the implications of the Fed's plan to pump another $US1 trillion into the financial system.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 85.78 points, or 1.15%, to 7,400.80.
Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 10.31 points, or 1.3%, to 784.04. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 7.74 points, or 0.52%, to 1,483.48.
Trading was active on the New York Stock Exchange, with about 1.95 billion shares changing hands - above last year's estimated daily average of 1.49 billion.
About 2.35 billion shares were traded on the Nasdaq - above last year's daily average of 2.28 billion.
