U.S. stock indexes took hard hits at midday Thursday, as the major indexes appeared headed toward a test of their 50-day moving average lines.
XAutoplay: On | OffThe Nasdaq staggered nearly 1.5% lower, while the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.9% and 0.6% respectively. The small-cap Russell 2000 dropped 1.2%. Volume ran slightly higher on the NYSE and lower on the Nasdaq.
The losses were worldwide with indexes in Europe and Asia down. In Latin America, a handful of indexes showed small gains — Peru, Chile and Argentina.