NEW YORK — Stocks closed out their worst month in more than a year by sliding again on more unsettling news about Europe.

The Dow Jones industrials dropped 122 points yesterday after Fitch Ratings gave Spain the second downgrade of its credit rating in a month. The rating agency's action was another reminder to traders of the long-term economic problems still facing several European countries.

May was difficult as persistent and intensifying worries about Europe's debt problems sent the Dow down 7.9 percent and the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index down 8.2 percent. Both indexes had their worst monthly performance since February 2009.