The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 199.48 points, or 1.53 per cent, to 12,828.68. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 13.23 points, or 0.93 per cent, to 1,413.40. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index lost 23.83 points, or .95 per cent, to 2,492.26.

The dollar bumped up to 63.79 euro cents from 63.76 Thursday and slipped against the Japanese currency to 103.18 yen from 103.20 yen. dpa