US markets slide as services sector data disappoints

US stocks ended the day firmly lower on Thursday, after the ISM services sector purchasing managers´ index for the month of April disappointed.

The reading came in at 53.5, down from March´s reading of 56, against a consensus of 55.5. For every one stock that was rising, two were falling, as investor sentiment suffered ahead of today's non-farm payroll data. The S&P closed 0.77% lower at 1,391, while the Dow was 0.47% down at 13,206, and the tech-heavy Nadaq fell 1.16% to 3,024. Elsewhere, initial weekly unemployment claims fell by 27,000 last week, to reach 365,000, a one-month low. The consensus estimate had been for 372.000. The previous month´s reading was revised up by 4,000, to 392,000. Labour productivity fell 0.5% ...