US stocks close lower; Dow Jones sheds 243 points

US stocks ended a volatile Thursday session in the red after the broader S&P 500 touched a record high, as the federal government shutdown continued for the ninth consecutive day.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.52%, or 243 points, to 46,358. The S&P 500 dropped 0.28%, or 18 points, to 6,735, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.10%, or 18 points, to 23,024.

In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.45% to 571 points, dragged down by a 1.55% decline in banking shares.

Germany’s DAX was little changed at 24,611, while France’s CAC 40 fell 0.25% to 8,041 and the UK’s FTSE 100 declined 0.40% to 9,509.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.75% to 48,580, closing above 48,000 for the first time ever, while the broader Topix index advanced 0.70% to 3,257, marking a record close for the fourth straight session.

As for commodities, Brent crude for December delivery declined 1.55%, or $1.03, to $65.22 a barrel, while WTI crude for November delivery fell 1.66%, or $1.04, to $61.51 a barrel.

Gold futures for December delivery dropped 2.40%, or $97.9, to $3,972.60 an ounce.