In what seems like a pattern this month, stocks reversed their modest gains from the morning to finish lower. The Dow finished 162 points lower, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished deep in the red as well, with all three benchmarks securing their fourth-straight losses. Yet again though, Wall Street's "fear gauge" -- the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) -- fell lower, logging its second-straight drop. 

OIL PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE

Oil prices rose following last week's nearly 5% gain. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for January delivery added $1.18, or 1.6%, to settle at $75.47 a barrel. 

Fresh off a weekly loss, gold prices finished lower for the day. February-dated gold fell $2.50, or 0.1%, to settle at $1,787.70 per ounce.  

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