ISTANBUL: Major US stock exchanges experienced a significant drop following the opening bell on Wednesday. The S and P 500 fell 81 points, or 0.47%, to 5,474 at 10.18 a.m. EDT. The Dow, meanwhile, declined 374 points, or 0.93%, to 39,983. The Nasdaq plummeted 365 points, or 2.03%, to 17,632. The VIX volatility index, also known as the "fear index," surged 12% to 16.48. The 10-year US Treasury yield decreased 0.2% to 4.231%. The dollar index fell 0.3% to 104.14, while the euro gained 0.13% to $1.0865 against the greenback. Precious metals saw gains, with gold rising 0.6% to $2,423 per ounce and silver increasing 0.14% to $29.29. Oil prices were up around 0.5%, with global benchmark Brent crude priced at $81.36 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate at $77.34. Source: Anadolu Agency