The Dow Jones industrial average was down 253 points in trading Thursday to close at 17,496.

The S&P 500 was down 31 points to 2,042.

The Nasdaq was down 69 points to 5,003.

The LABJ Stock Index was down four points to 239.

West L.A. patent monetization firm Marathon Patent Group Inc. was Thursday’s biggest local gainer among stocks trading above $1. Shares rose 13 percent to close at $1.65.

Thursday’s biggest loser, among stocks trading above $1, was alternative energy developer Rentech Inc. Shares fell 13 percent to close at $3.02.