国际英语新闻：Wall Street falls on concerns over rate hike, European economic recovery

NEW YORK, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Wall Street fell on Wednesday as concerns over interest rate hike and the strength of economic recovery in European countries weighed on the market.

Major indexes followed European stocks lower after data showed Europe's economy unexpectedly stagnated in the fourth quarter.

The European Union's statistics office in Luxembourg said on Wednesday that gross domestic product in the 16-nation euro region remained unchanged in the final three months compared with the third quarter, weaker than its previous report.

The markets fell further after Federal Reserve official said that the Fed should start boosting interest rates soon.

Thomas Hoenig, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, in a speech in New Mexico raised concerns about leaving rates at record lows for too long. He suggested the Fed soon start moving its key rate toward 1 percent.