US Stocks Extend Downside Amid Profit Taking

US equities extended decline for the second consecutive session on Friday as investors continued to take profits following recent record highs in major indices. Stocks moved mostly with the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 extending the steep drop seen over the two previous sessions. The Dow slumped 377.49 points or 0.9 percent to 40,287.53, the Nasdaq slid 144.28 points or 0.8 percent to 17,726.94 and the S&P 500 fell 39.59 points or 0.7 percent to 5,505.00. For the week, the major averages turned in a mixed performance. The tech-heavy Nasdaq plunged by 3.7 percent and the S&P 500 tumbled by 2.0 percent, but the Dow climbed by 0.7 percent.