North American stock indexes fell sharply at the open on Friday, following the S&P 500 and the Dow’s best three-day run in nearly a century, as fears about the economic damage from the rapidly spreading coronavirus returned to the forefront.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 653.70 points, or 2.90 per cent, at the open to 21,898.47. The S&P 500 opened lower by 74.20 points, or 2.82 per cent, at 2,555.87.
The Nasdaq Composite dropped 243.29 points, or 3.12 per cent, to 7,554.25 at the opening bell. [ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ] In Toronto, the S&P/TSX composite index was down 500.80 points to 12,870.37.