Stocks fell on Wednesday as Germany's unilateral action to ban specific trades on some stocks and bonds sparked a fresh wave of uncertainty and risk aversion among anxious investors.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 66.58 points, or 0.63 percent, to unofficially close at 10,444.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> dipped 5.78 points, or 0.52 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,115.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> slipped 18.89 points, or 0.82 percent, to end unofficially at 2,298.37.

(Reporting by Angela Moon; Editing by Jan Paschal)