U.S. stocks plunged when markets opened Monday, following drops in the European markets, as investors reacted to Friday's unprecedented downgrade of the U.S. by ratings agency Standard & Poor's.
The Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 both fell by more than 2%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell more than 3%. The drop follows steady falls in European markets through the day.
The move from Standard & Poor's to downgrade the U.S. from AAA to AA-plus triggered heavy criticism from President Barack Obama's administration amid fears it could contribute to another recession.
Standard & Poor's John Chambers told CNN the downgrade was based on the political polarization in the U.S., following debate over raising the borrowing ceiling, and the country's high levels of debt.
Moody's, another major ratings agency, affirmed its rating of the U.S. debt at Aaa on August 2. It has said a ratings downgrade is possible before 2013 if fiscal discipline is weakened or by a significant deterioration in economic outlook. (more)
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