US: Stocks open sharply lower on virus fears

[NEW YORK] Wall Street stocks opened sharply lower Thursday, joining a sell-off in most global bourses on fears the coronavirus will grow into a significant international health crisis.

About five minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.8 per cent, or about 480 points. The blue-chip index has fallen the last five days.

The broad-based S&P 500 slid 2.1 per cent to 3,050.44, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index shed 2.7 per cent to 8,736.12.

AFP