Wall Street stocks fell early Wednesday as the Federal Reserve chief said more fiscal support may be needed to prevent lasting damage to the US economy from the coronavirus crisis.
About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 23,563.20, down 0.9 percent. The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 0.6 percent to 2,852.64, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dipped 0.1 percent to 8,995.46.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell pointed to the hit to households from elevated unemployment and the permanent loss of small businesses as among the imperatives that could require Congress to spend beyond the $3 trillion already approved in response to the COVID-19 hit. "Additional fiscal support could be costly, but worth it if it helps