Wall Street closes sharply lower

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks extended a sell-off on Wednesday, dropping more than 1 percent as investors grappled with concerns that central bank stimulus may be nearing an end while the economy is still weak.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 216.72 points, or 1.43 percent, at 14,960.82. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 22.48 points, or 1.38 percent, at 1,608.90. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 43.78 points, or 1.27 percent, at 3,401.48.

(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Kenneth Barry)