U.S. stocks close sharply lower; Caterpillar slides 4.4% to pace Dow's 131-point retreat

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch)
U.S. stocks closed lower for a third straight session on Wednesday, swept up in a broad flight from most assets except the U.S. dollar and Treasurys, as a jump in Italian borrowing costs and a tumble in the euro below $1.30 underlined the precarious prospects for the euro zone.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 131.46 points, or 1.1%, to 11,823.48, led by a 4.4% decline in Caterpillar Inc. 
The S&P 500 lost 13.91 points, or 1.1%, to 1,211.82.
Energy stocks led a decline in all 10 S&P 500 industry sectors as oil futures dropped below $95 a barrel, down 5.2%.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 39.96 points, or 1.6%, to 2,539.31.