Coronavirus fears continued to inject unprecedented volatility into United States markets on Wednesday, hammering stock prices, roiling oil prices and even taking the shine off of gold.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 1,338 points or 6.3 percent – its lowest level since February 2017.
During the session, the 30-share index crossed a milestone, falling more than 7 percent to erase all of its gains since US President Donald Trump took office, before recovering some ground in the final stretch of trading.
The broader S&P 500 – a gauge for the health of US retirement and college savings accounts – closed down 5.17 percent. At one point, the index tumbled more than 7 percent, tripping circuit breakers to halt trading for 15 minutes.
The Nasdaq Composite Index finished the session down 4.7 percent.
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