Stocks end sharply lower as Russia-Ukraine tensions escalate

Stocks ended sharply lower Wednesday, with the S&P 500 slipping further into correction territory as fears mounted of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed around 465 points, or 1.4%, to close near 33,132, while the S&P 500 dropped around 79 points, or 1.8%, ending near 4,226. The Nasdaq Composite ended near 13,038, down around 344 points, or 2.6%. A senior U.S. defense official on Wednesday said Russian forces massed along Ukraine’s borders are “as ready as they can be” for an invasion, if ordered to launch it, the Associated Press reported.

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