Wall Street stocks finished lower on Monday ahead of key US economic data.

Investors are waiting for key US employment and consumer pricing data later in the week, alongside a public appearance by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that will offer clues on whether a hoped-for moderation in monetary policy is in the cards.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 1.5 percent at 33,849.46.

The broad-based S&P 500 shed 1.5 percent as well to 3,963.94, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 1.6 percent to 11,049.50.

After last week's advance, US indices were in the red the entire day, finishing near session lows. (AFP)