Markets Right Now: Escalating trade war sinks stock indexes

NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):

4 p.m.

Stocks are closing sharply lower as an escalating trade war between the U.S. and China rattles investors.

Technology companies, which do a lot of business with China and would stand to lose greatly in an extended trade battle, fell far more than the rest of the market Monday.

Apple gave up almost 6%. Industrial stocks including Deere and Boeing also fell sharply.

Utilities, a haven for fearful investors, were among the few stocks that rose. Prices for other safe-play assets like bonds and gold also rose.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 617 points, or 2.4%, to 25,324.

The S&P 500 fell 69 points, or 2.4%, to 2,811.

The Nasdaq, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, plunged 269 points, or 3.4%, to 7,647, its biggest drop of the year.

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11:45 a.m.

Stocks are plunging on Wall Street after China said it would retaliate against the U.S. with tariffs, escalating a trade dispute that investors had hoped would go away.

China said Monday it would put levies on $60 billion of U.S. imports after the Trump administration on Friday raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports from 10% to 25%.

U.S. companies that would stand to lose the most in a prolonged trade war with China led the way lower. Apple fell 5.4% and Caterpillar dropped 5.1%.

Utilities, which investors tend to buy when they are fearful of market turbulence, were the only sector to rise.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 623 points, or 2.4%. The S&P 500 fell 71 points, or 2.5% and the Nasdaq sank 3.3%.

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9:35 a.m.

Stocks are plunging at the open on Wall Street Monday after China announced retaliatory tariffs against goods from the United...