US benchmark equity indexes ended lower Monday as concerns mounted that the economy is heading for a recession and a gauge measuring inflationary expectations increased.

* President Donald Trump failed to rule out that the US economy may be entering a recession in 2025 while telling Fox News over the weekend that there will be a "period of transition because what we're doing is very big."

* "The US administration's hint that the US may undergo a period of transition and 'detox' may be a mere fact, but is also a strategically placed message, with political undertones," Thierry Wizman, global forex and rates strategist at Macquarie, said in a note.

* Median inflation expectations increased by 0.1 percentage point at the one-year horizon to 3.1% in February, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. They were unchanged at the three-year and five-year horizons at 3%.

* April West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed down $1.01 to settle at $66.03 per barrel, while May Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $1.09 to $69.27. China's economy weakened in February, and Trump's tariff threats continued to roil markets.

* Rocket (RKT) agreed to buy real-estate brokerage Redfin (RDFN) for $1.75 billion in stock. Shares of Redfin soared 69%, while Rocket declined 15%

* Tesla's (TSLA) shares fell 15%. UBS cut its price target on the electric automaker's stock to $225 from $259 and reiterating its sell rating amid concern that softer demand will reduce delivery volumes.