Stocks, for the most part, continued this week's slide, though losses were modest compared to the past couple of days. The Dow looked like it would stage a rebound midday before paring those gains and ultimately barely finishing just above breakeven.

Elsewhere, the S&P 500 logged its fifth-straight loss, its longest losing streak since Oct. 12. The Nasdaq Composite is now on a four-day losing streak as well, while the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) closed higher for the third consecutive day, and is now up 18.9% since the start of the week.

OIL EXTENDS LOWS

Oil prices fell for the fourth day in a row, ending at their lowest settlement for a front-month contract since Dec. 21, 2021. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for January delivery dropped $2.24, or 3%, to settle at $72.01 a barrel. 

Gold prices rose for the second day, though still settling below the psychologically significant $1,800 level. February-dated gold added $15.60, or 0.9%, to settle at $1,798 per ounce. 

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