New York — Wall Street stocks plunged on Wednesday  with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tipping into a bear market for the first time since the financial crisis after the World Health Organisation (WHO) called the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.

All three major US stock averages ended the session sharply lower, with the benchmark S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite index both about 19% below their February 19 record closing highs. The Dow closed at 23,553, the S&P  hit  2,741.31, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell to 7,952.05...

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