Stock Markets Close Lower

Stocks are closing lower, led by declines in energy and mining companies as prices for oil, metals and other commodities weaken. Several companies were also falling Wednesday after reporting disappointing results or outlooks. Nike, one of the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones industrial average, sank 4% after reporting revenue that fell far short of what analysts were looking for. The declines put the market on track for its first weekly loss since mid-February. The Dow average gave up 80 points, or 0.5%, to 17,502. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 13 points, or 0.6%, to 2,036. The Nasdaq composite declined 52 points, or 1.1%, to 4,768. (More Dow Jones stories.)