Dow drama: Stocks slide 335 points

Stocks posted their worst day of the year Thursday, sliding 335 points.

The sharp drop marks the worst single day of trading in 2014, and came just one day after the blue-chip stock index posted its biggest one-day gains of the year, as market volatility is on the rise.

{mosads}Stock markets have swung back and forth several times over the last several days, often times ebbing and flowing by hundreds of points in a given day.

As the markets fluctuate, traders are turning their attention to potential trouble overseas when making investment decisions. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ were both down roughly 2 percent by the end of trading Thursday.

Traders are concerned about the impact of lagging growth in Europe, as well as uncertain economic prospects in Asia, on the U.S. economy. Adding more uncertainty to the mix is tension in Ukraine and the Middle East, which has made markets increasingly volatile.

The Dow has swung more than 200 points in four of the last six trading days.

On Wednesday, the Dow surged to a 2014 record after the Federal Reserve indicated that bank officials were also aware of those global dangers, suggesting the Fed might be willing to maintain lower interest rates for longer.

On Thursday, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said his institution is prepared to push for more stimulus if that’s what it takes to boost European inflation from its low levels.

Updated at 4:46 pm.