Wall Street stocks finished solidly in the red Monday spooked by worries the coronavirus will weigh on global economic growth. 

A traveler wearing a mask arrives on a direct flight from China, after a spokesman from the U.S. Centers for the CDC said a traveler from China had been the first person in the United States to be diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Washington, U.S., January 23, 2020. (Photo: VCG)

Major U.S. indices suffered their worst session thus far in 2020 and followed European and Asian bourses lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by over 450 points or 1.6 percent to finish at 28,535.50. 

The broad-based S&P 500 also fell by 1.6 percent to end the day 3,243.63, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dropped by 1.9 percent to 9,139.31. 

The losses opened a heavy week of economic news that includes a Federal Reserve meeting and earnings reports from Apple, Amazon, Boeing and other giants. 

As of Monday, more than 2,700 people have been infected across China, the bulk of them in and around Wuhan. But there also have been cases in other parts of Asia, as well as Europe and North America. 

Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Holdings, said rising investor unease has reflected an increased number of cases and as the virus has spread to more regions. 

"The escalation of the news causes more uncertainty," especially for travel-oriented companies, Hogan said. 

"I think it's very logical, especially given that the sectors that would be affected by any slowdown are getting hit the hardest." 

Even before the virus became a concern, analysts had warned U.S. stocks could be primed for a pullback following a series of records that have increased equity valuations beyond historic levels. 

Adding to that dynamic, analysts have pointed to an earnings season thus far that has seen companies largely meet expectations, but not exceeded them. 

Multinationals with significant China operations were hard-hit, with Apple shedding by 2.9 percent and Starbucks by 3.6 percent. 

Travel stocks also took a beating. United Airlines dropped by 5.2 percent, Marriott International shed by 2.1 percent and Wynn Resorts slumped by 8.1 percent. 

Wynn operates two resorts in gambling center Macau, where there have been six confirmed coronavirus cases.