Wall Street posts worst drop in 3 weeks

MARKETS-USA-STOCKS-CLOSE:Wall Street posts worst drop in 3 weeks

U.S. stocks posted their worst day in three weeks on Thursday on mounting evidence that slowing manufacturing growth worldwide was poised to hurt profit growth.

Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 252.93 points, or 1.97 percent, at 12,571.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 30.35 points, or 2.24 percent, at 1,325.34. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 71.36 points, or 2.44 percent, at 2,859.09.