US stock trading halted after sharp nosedive

WASHINGTON

Wall Street halted trading Monday for 15 minutes after the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by over 1,700 points shortly after the opening bell.

All three major stock indices fell around 7% in early morning trading with the Nasdaq down nearly 590 points and the S&P 500 taking a hit of 208 points.

Investors are rattled by questions over the impact the new coronavirus is having on economic activity and global supply chains, as well as a sharp decline in the price of oil.