Market Commentary and Intraday News

US stocks sharply lower as Europe fear surges

304 days ago

By BERNARD CONDON
AP Business Writer

(AP:NEW YORK) U.S. stocks are opening sharply lower as fear surges over the European debt crisis.

In the opening minutes, the Dow Jones industrial average is down 185 points at 12,637. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is down 17 at 1,345. The Nasdaq composite index is off 61 at 2,864.

Strong selling has also rattled European markets because of fear that Spain will need a sovereign bailout. The main stock indexes are down more than 7 percent in Greeece, 3 percent in Spain and Germany and more than 2 percent in France and Britain.

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