Major stock indexes in the United States recorded losses at the open on Thursday as the calamity in the financial sector continued to wreak havoc. Despite US officials reassuring the public that the country's banking system "remains sound," anxiety over a potential economic downfall persisted.
On the data front, jobless claims in the country fell by 20,000 to 192,000, while the housing starts in February jumped 9.8% month on month.
The Dow Jones slid 0.54% or 170 points at the opening bell, with Chevron losing 2.22% at 9:31 am ET. The Nasdaq 100 lost 0.34% at the open, as Diamondback Energy lost 2.07% at 9:31 am ET. The S&P 500 fell 0.50% at 9:30 am ET, with First Republic Bank nosediving 33.83% a minute later. The euro stood flat against the dollar at 9:29 am ET, selling for 1.05766.
