The Dow industrials closed below 10,000 for the first time since November on Monday as investors sold bank shares due to heightened concerns about the euro zone’s sovereign debt troubles.

Bank of America shares lost more than 3 percent, while JPMorgan slipped 1.6 percent, and Citigroup shed 2.2 percent.

The S&P financial index dropped 2.2 percent as the KBW bank index dipped 1.5 percent.

Concerns about the fiscal stability of Greece, Portugal and Spain have rattled global markets over the last two weeks, curbing the appetite for riskier assets.
“The market is still being pressured by concerns about Europe, and banks are being pressured more so because of their possible exposure to the sovereign debt issues, specifically that of Greece,” said Frank Pavilonis, senior market strategist at Lind-Waldock in Chicago. » Read more: Down closes below 10,000 first time since November