NEW YORK – Concern about mounting debt in Europe has pushed the Dow Jones industrials below 10,000.

The Dow closed below the psychological barrier for the first time in three months Monday as financial stocks pulled the market lower.

Mounting debt problems in several weaker European economies including Greece, Portugal and Spain have raised new questions about the health of the global financial system.

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow has ended down 104 at 9,908. The Standard & Poor's 500 is down 9 at 1,057. And the Nasdaq composite index is off 15 at 2,126.

Two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 1.1 billion shares compared with 1.6 billion shares Friday.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) — Concern about mounting debt in Europe hit stocks again Monday and pushed the Dow Jones industrials below 10,000.

Major indexes fell in afternoon trading after staying in a tight range for much of the day. Stocks have moved erratically in the past four weeks as investors try to determine whether a global economic recovery is still intact.

Mounting debt problems in several weaker European economies including Greece, Portugal and Spain have raised new questions about the health of the global financial system. Banking shares again led the market lower.

The market began to stumble in the second half of January after China announced plans to contain economic growth and as the Obama administration proposed rules to restrict trading by large financial institutions.

That interrupted a 10-month climb in stocks, which hit 12-year lows last March. The Dow Jones industrial average is down 713 points, or 6.7 percent, since closing at a 15-month high of 10,725.43 on Jan. 19.

Brett Hryb, a portfolio manager with MFC Global Investment Management in Toronto, said the latest concern for investors is that the financial troubles in a country like Greece will spill into other countries.

"Clearly Greece itself is nothing. It's just a blip. It's what the contagion could be," he said.

In late afternoon trading, the Dow fell 68.85, or 0.7 percent, to 9,943.38. On Thursday, the Dow traded below the psychological barrier of 10,000 for the first time since November. It hasn't closed below that mark since Nov. 4, 2009.

The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3.78, or 0.4 percent, to 1,062.41, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 4.70, or 0.2 percent, to 2,136.42.

Bond prices mostly fell, pushing their yields slightly higher. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.59 percent from 3.57 percent late Friday.

The dollar fell against other major currencies, while gold rose.

Crude oil rose 70 cents to settle at $71.89 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Jerry Webman, chief economist at OppenheimerFunds Inc., said he doesn't expect that problems with rising debt loads in Europe will cascade into other parts of the world's economy, but he remains cautious.

"Right now, when anybody says the word 'contained' I start to tremble," he said, referring to his skepticism about those who downplay worries about Greece.

Webman is also concerned by the shrugs that have greeted corporate earnings reports. Three out of four of the companies in the S&P 500 index that have reported results for the fourth quarter have posted stronger sales and profit numbers than analysts forecast, according to Thomson Reuters.

"The market is obviously not that enthusiastic about these good bottom-line and good top-line numbers," Webman said, adding that he sees that as a reason to be concerned about the direction of stocks.

In earnings news, the toymaker Hasbro Inc. said its profit surged 77 percent in the fourth quarter while drugstore chain CVS Caremark Corp. said its earnings rose 11 percent. The results beat analysts' estimates.

Hasbro jumped $3.80, or 12.3 percent, to $34.60, while CVS rose $1.79, or 5.8 percent, to $32.86.

Three stocks fell for every two that rose on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to a light 708 million shares compared with 1.1 billion shares traded at the same point Friday.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 4.41, or 0.7 percent, to 588.57.

Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.6 percent, Germany's DAX index gained 0.9 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 1.2 percent. Earlier, Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 1.1 percent.

TOKYO – Toyota plans to recall about 300,000 Prius hybrids worldwide over a brake problem and will notify the U.S. and Japanese governments Tuesday, a news report said.

The recall of the gas-electric Prius will cover cars that went on sale since May last year through January, Kyodo news agency reported late Monday.

Kyodo, which did not identify its sources for the information, said the automaker will notify authorities in Japan and the U.S. of its plan, which will cover more than 270,000 of the hybrids sold in the two countries.

Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said no decision on a Prius recall has been made. Kenji Sugai, an official in Japan's Transport Ministry section in charge of recalls, said it had not been informed of any such plan by Toyota.

The Kyodo report follows others in Japanese media recently that the world's largest automaker has decided to announce a recall early this week. The company has only said it will soon announce plans to deal with the braking problem.

At least 100 drivers of Prius cars in the U.S. have complained to the government that their antilock brakes seemed to fail momentarily while driving on bumpy roads. The Japanese government has also received dozens of complaints. Toyota plans to fix a software glitch to correct the problem. The government says the problem is suspected in four crashes that caused two minor injuries.

Toyota says the brakes will work if the driver keeps pushing the pedal.

Toyota has already recalled more than 7 million other cars for repairs in the U.S. and other countries over a sticky accelerator and floor mats that can get caught in the gas pedal.

The Prius is the world's top-selling gas-electric hybrid and its fuel efficiency has drawn intense interest amid concerns about global warming and dependence on fossil fuels.

Toyota has sold 300,000 of the vehicles in about 60 countries. Kyodo reported recalls in other countries will follow those in Japan and the U.S. The company says it has already fixed vehicles that went on sale since last month.

Though there have been reports that Toyota will recall the cars, the company has an option of a "service campaign," in which the company would simply notify owners to bring their cars in for repairs.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Tourists headed for the observation deck of the world's tallest tower were left disappointed and confused Monday after the owner of Dubai's Burj Khalifa unexpectedly cut off public access to the building because of electrical problems.

A lack of information from the building's owner made it unclear whether the rest of the largely empty building, including the dozens of elevators meant to whisk visitors to the tower's more than 160 floors, was affected by the shutdown that began Sunday.

The sudden and indefinite closure comes as Dubai struggles to revive its image amid nagging questions about its financial health.

The Gulf Arab city-state had hoped the 2,717-foot (828-meter) Burj Khalifa would be a major tourist draw. Dubai has promoted itself worldwide by wowing visitors with over-the-top attractions such as the Burj, which juts like a silvery needle out of the desert and can be seen from miles around.

In recent weeks, thousands of tourists have lined up for the chance to buy advance tickets for viewing times often days later that cost more than $27 apiece. Now many of those would-be visitors, such as Wayne Boyes, a tourist from near Manchester, England, must get back in line for refunds.

"It's just very disappointing," said Boyes, 40, who showed up at the Burj's entrance Monday with a ticket for an afternoon time slot only to be told the viewing platform was closed.

"The tower was one of my main reasons for coming here," said Boyes.

The precise cause of the $1.5 billion Dubai skyscraper's closure remained unclear.

In a brief statement responding to questions, building owner Emaar Properties blamed the closure on "unexpected high traffic," but then suggested that electrical problems were also at fault.

"Technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and subcontractors and the public will be informed upon completion," the company said, adding that it is "committed to the highest quality standards at Burj Khalifa."

A spokeswoman for Emaar, despite repeated requests by The Associated Press, was unable to provide further details or rule out the possibility of foul play. Greg Sang, Emaar's director of projects and the man charged with coordinating the tower's construction, could not be reached.

Emaar did not say when the observation deck would reopen. Ticket sales agents were accepting bookings starting on Valentine's Day this Sunday, though one reached by The Associated Press could not confirm the building would reopen then.

Tourists affected by the closure are being offered the chance to rebook or receive refunds.

The shutdown comes at a sensitive time for Dubai. The city-state is facing a slump in tourism — which accounts for nearly a fifth of the local economy — while fending off negative publicity caused by more than $80 billion in debt it is struggling to repay.

Ervin Hladnik-Milharcic, 55, a Slovenian writer planning to visit the city for the first time this month, said he hoped the Burj would reopen soon.

"It was the one thing I really wanted to see," he said. "The tower was projected as a metaphor for Dubai. So the metaphor should work. There are no excuses."

Dubai opened the tower on January 4 in a blaze of fireworks televised around the world. The building had been known as the Burj Dubai during more than half a decade of construction, but the name was suddenly changed on opening night to honor the ruler of neighboring Abu Dhabi.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two of seven small sheikdoms that comprise the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi hosts the federation's capital and holds most of the country's vast oil reserves. It has provided Dubai with $20 billion in emergency cash to help cover its debts.

Questions were raised about the building's readiness in the months leading up to the January opening.

The opening date had originally been expected in September, but was then pushed back until sometime before the end of 2009. The eventual opening date just after New Year's was meant to coincide with the anniversary of the Dubai ruler's ascent to power.

There were signs even that target was ambitious. The final metal and glass panels cladding the building's exterior were installed only in late September. Early visitors to the observation deck had to peer through floor-to-ceiling windows caked with dust — a sign that cleaning crews had not yet had a chance to scrub them clean.

Work is still ongoing on many of the building's other floors, including those that will house the first hotel designed by Giorgio Armani that is due to open in March.

It was unclear if the rest of the building was affected by the observation deck's shutdown. The first of some 12,000 residential tenants and office workers are supposed to move in this month.

The Burj Khalifa boasts more than 160 stories. The exact number is not known.

The observation deck is located on the 124th floor. Adult tickets bought in advance cost 100 dirhams ($27.25). Visitors wanting to enter immediately can jump to the front of the line by paying 400 dirhams ($109) apiece.

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On the Net: http://www.burjdubai.com