New York, March 16 (BridgeNews) - U.S. stocks closed sharply lower as earnings worries, particularly in the technology sector, offset benign news on inflation and consumer sentiment. The broad-based sell-off pulled the Dow below 9900 and the Nasdaq below 1900. The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 207.87, or 2.07%, to 9823.41 and the Nasdaq tumbled 49.68, or 2.56%, to 1891.03. The S&P 500 slid 23.01, or 1.96%, to 1150.55.