Stocks slide on Wall Street after Spain's request for bank help leaves questions unanswered

NEW YORK — Europe's latest efforts to quell its financial crisis left investors exasperated, causing steep losses in stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 138 points to close Monday at 12,503. That's a loss of 1.1 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 21 points, or 1.6 percent, to 1,314. The Nasdaq lost 56 points, 1.9 percent, to 2,836.

In Europe, Spain formally asked for help to rescue the country's ailing banks. But its request left many questions unanswered, including how much it needs of the $125 billion loan package offered by other European governments. The uncertainty unsettled markets.

More than three stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was below average at 3.3 billion.