By Ovunc Kutlu
ISTANBUL (AA) - US stocks opened Wednesday on a lower note.
The Dow Jones plummeted 222 points, or 0.65%, to 33,867 at 10.09 a.m. EDT. The S&P 500 lost 27 points, or 0.64%, to 4,110.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq decreased 69 points, or 0.59%, to finish the day at 11,890.
The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, fell 0.9% to 18.74. The 10-year US Treasury yield, meanwhile, rose 0.3% to 3.772%.
The dollar index was up 0.77% to 104.03, while the euro trimmed 0.56% to $1.0675 against the greenback.
Precious metals were in negative territory with gold losing 1.1% to $1,833 an ounce and silver shedding 1.4% to $21.55.
Crude oil prices were down more than 0.8% with global benchmark Brent crude at $84.89 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude at $78.39.