Stock market trends today, August 1, 2014: U.S. markets plummeted Thursday in a broad decline. The DJIA shed 317 points in a heavy sell-off. The S&P 500 fell below its 50-day moving average, erasing all of July's gains as concerns across global markets hammered stocks. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX) jumped more than 27% to an intraday high of 17.11, its highest level since April.
This morning (Friday), the dollar hit a 10-month high against other global currencies while stocks around the world slumped. However, the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 6.2% on news that the economy gained only 209,000 jobs - falling under economist estimates of 230,000 new jobs during July and an unemployment rate of 6.0%.
Here's a roundup of the top stories affecting stock market news today:
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Full U.S. Economic Calendar August 1, 2014 (NYSE: all times EDT)
Left with little choice, the United States and European Union have imposed a new series of economic sanctions on Russia to express their disapproval over the country's continued aggression. But Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing a very long game, one in which he's prepared to see the Russian economy pay a very high price. That will mean consequences for investors the world over. Here's what the Russian sanctions mean for your money...