Stocks end lower as investors reassess Fed worries

Stocks are ending the day slightly lower after recouping a big loss early on.

U.S. markets fell immediately after the opening bell following a global slump prompted in part by an unexpectedly weak report on manufacturing in China.

Concern that the Federal Reserve might ease back on its economic stimulus program sooner than expected had also riled investors.

The market recovered much of the losses as investors considered those fears overdone.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell a fraction or 13 points to 15,295 Thursday. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 5 points to 1,651, or 0.3 percent. The Nasdaq composite fell 4 points to 3,459, or 0.1 percent.

Declining stocks outnumbered advancers on the New York Stock Exchange.

Volume was above average at 3.83 billion shares.