Stocks fell sharply near the close of trading today, on the heels of...

Stocks fell sharply near the close of trading today, on the heels of weak economic data on manufacturing and construction spending. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 233.22, or 2.67%, at 8,503.37; the S&P 500 fell 27.15, or 2.98%, ending at 884.47; and the Nasdaq composite closed down 48.28, or 3.63%, at 1,279.98. All numbers are preliminary.