U.S. stocks began 2016 sharply lower on Monday, with the Dow marking its worst start to a year since 2008, after weak Chinese economic data fanned fears of a global slowdown. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 276.09 points, or 1.58 percent, to 17,148.94 points. The S&P 500 index lost 31.28 points, or 1.53 percent, to 2,012.66 points. The Nasdaq Composite index dropped 104.32 points, or 2.08 percent, to 4,903.09. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq had their worst starts to a year since 2001.