Wall Street stalls after 3-day run; volume at 2011 low

Wall Street snapped a three-day winning streak, even as investors adjusted to the insecurity created by events in Japan, the Middle East and North Africa.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 17.90 points, or 0.15 percent, to 12,018.63. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index dropped 4.61 points, or 0.36 percent, to 1,293.77. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 8.22 points, or 0.31 percent, to 2,683.87.

European shares slipped, as investors worried about the outlook for higher interest rates in the euro zone and as tensions in the Middle East intensified.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed down 0.1 percent at 1,107.22 points, snapping a three-day winning run.

Japanese shares rose almost 4 percent while government bond futures slipped as reports of progress to contain radiation leaks at a quake-hit nuclear plant prompted investors to buy back risky assets.

The Nikkei was up 3.9 percent at 9,565.00 points, popping above the key 9,500 level where portfolio managers and traders were expected to sell to cut losses.

The broader TOPIC index rose 4.2 percent to 858.50.