Rising fears of another recession hammered U.S. stocks on Thursday, sending major averages more than 3 percent lower in a rerun of the extreme fluctuations investors had hoped were over.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 419.17 points, or 3.67 percent, at 10,991.04, according to the latest figures. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 53.15 points, or 4.45 percent, at 1,140.74. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 131.05 points, or 5.22 percent, at 2,380.43.

(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Kenneth Barry)