Stocks opened sharply lower on Monday, on par with a drop in global equities, as investors worried recent market gains may have outpaced the economic recovery.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 172.31 points, or 1.85 percent, to 9,143.95. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> dropped 22.17 points, or 2.21 percent, to 981.92. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 45.07 points, or 2.27 percent, to 1,940.45.

(Editing by Padraic Cassidy)