UPDATE: Stock market plunges in wake of Standard & Poor’s downgrade of government credit; U.S. still an AAA nation, Obama says

  • The Associated Press
  • Monday, August 8, 2011 1:26pm
  • News

The Associated Press

Editor’s note: Our technical services staff has fixed the stock market box on our home page. We apologize for any inconvenience earlier.

NEW YORK — Stocks are plummeting at the close after anxiety overtook investors on the first trading day since Standard & Poor’s downgraded American debt.

The Dow Jones industrials closed down 634 points, or 5.5 percent, to 10,809 today. It was the first time the Dow fell below 11,000 since November and its biggest one-day point drop since December 2008.

The S&P 500 is closing down 6.7 percent, at 1,119.46. The Nasdaq is down 174.72, or 6.9 percent, at 2,357.69. More than 69 stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was heavy at 9.7 billion shares.

Investors are worried about the slowing U.S. economy and escalating debt problems threatening Europe. Money flowed out of stocks and into safer investments, including Treasurys and gold.

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