Dow drops more than 500 points amid Fed, Delta variant jitters
CBSN
Benchmark U.S. stock indexes opened sharply lower on Monday as investors assessed a bevy of risks, including a possible shift in Federal Reserve guidance this week that could hurt corporate profits.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 500 points, or 1.5%, shortly after the start of trade, while the broader S&P 500 fell 1.5% and technology-heavy Nasdaq sank 1.8%. The decline extends a slide for Wall Street this month, with the S&P 500 losing nearly 1% last week.
Although September is historically a weak month for stocks, a range of factors is weighing on market sentiment. Investors remain concerned that the latest COVID-19 wave could slow economic growth, while also keeping a close eye a push by congressional Democrats to raise taxes on wealthy Americans and on big corporations. Fear is also mounting that Evergrande Group, a major Chinese property developer, could default on its debt and trigger a financial crisis.

Washington — Amid Trump administration demands for Tehran to keep the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials have told CBS News that there are at least a dozen underwater mines through the vital passageway, according to current American intelligence assessments. Arden Farhi, Kathryn Watson, Caroline Linton, Aimee Picchi and Layla Ferris contributed to this report.

Washington — President Trump said early Monday that he is postponing airstrikes on Iran's power plants after "very good and productive conversations" over the last two days about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran's foreign ministry denied any such talks. Claire Day contributed to this report. In:











