New York, Dec. 17 (Petra) – The U.S. technology-heavy Nasdaq index fell on Wednesday by nearly 350 points, a decline of about 1.50 percent.

Before the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down about 200 points, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) index slipped roughly 65 points.

Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil prices showed improvement, with West Texas Intermediate rising by more than $1 to reach $56.40 per barrel.

//Petra// AF