Stocks ended lower on Friday as investors pared exposure to riskier assets amid worries about fiscal turmoil in Europe.

* The major indexes registered their worst monthly decline since February 2009. The S&P 500 is now off 6.6 percent from its 15-month closing high of January 19.

* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 53.13 points, or 0.52 percent, to end unofficially at 10,067.33. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 10.66 points, or 0.98 percent, to close unofficially at 1,073.87. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 31.65 points, or 1.45 percent, to close unofficially at 2,147.35.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Jan Paschal)

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