By Ovunc Kutlu
ISTANBUL (AA) – Major US stock exchanges experienced a significant drop following the opening bell on Wednesday.
The S&P 500 fell 81 points, or 0.47%, to 5,474 at 10.18 a.m. EDT. The Dow, meanwhile, declined 374 points, or 0.93%, to 39,983.
The Nasdaq plummeted 365 points, or 2.03%, to 17,632.
The VIX volatility index, also known as the "fear index," surged 12% to 16.48. The 10-year US Treasury yield decreased 0.2% to 4.231%.
The dollar index fell 0.3% to 104.14, while the euro gained 0.13% to $1.0865 against the greenback.
Precious metals saw gains, with gold rising 0.6% to $2,423 per ounce and silver increasing 0.14% to $29.29.
Oil prices were up around 0.5%, with global benchmark Brent crude priced at $81.36 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate at $77.34.