Fears over China and Greece hammer US stocks for 2nd day

1Investors monitor stock prices at a brokerage in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 21, 2015.
2Asian stocks fell further Friday after a survey showed Chinese manufacturing weakened this month.
3A woman walks past an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Aug. 21, 2015.
4Tokyo's Nikkei 225 plunged 2 percent in the morning session as Asian stocks fell further Friday after a survey showed Chinese manufacturing weakened this month.
5Investors play a card game near electronic boards displaying stock prices in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 21, 2015.
6A man holding a fan walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Aug. 21, 2015.
7People walk by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Aug. 21, 2015.
8A woman using a smartphone walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Aug. 21, 2015.
9NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks are dropping sharply for a second day following a sell-off in major indexes around the world on more signs that China's economy is slowing.
10The selling is widespread, with all 10 industries of the Standard and Poor's 500 down.
11Oil plunged below $40 for the first time since the financial crisis, and government bonds rallied as investors scooped them up in a flight to safety.
12The selling began in Asia, then spread to Europe, with major indexes there losing more than 2 percent.
13Gold, a traditional haven for fearful investors, rose for a second day.
14Markets began falling last week after China announced a surprise devaluation of its currency, the yuan.
15Investors interpreted the move as a sign the slowdown in the world's No.
162 economy could be more extreme that they had thought.
17On Friday, they got more bad news: A survey showed the manufacturing sector on the mainland continues to contract.
18Investors are also worried about more turmoil in Greece after the resignation of its prime minister.
19KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average fell 315 points, or 1.9 percent, to 16,675 as of 1:39 p.m. Eastern time.
20The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 37 points, or 1.8 percent, to 2,000.
21The Nasdaq skidded 94 points, or 1.9 percent, to 4,783.
22TECH CORRECTION?: The Nasdaq is now about 8 percent off its recent high of 5,218.86 on July 20.
23That puts it within shooting range of what traders call a "correction," or a fall from a high of more 10 percent.
24Apple plunged $4.61, or 4 percent, to $108.10.
25BROAD DROP: All 10 sectors of the S&P 500 fell, led by a 2.3 drop in information technology shares.
26CHINA JITTERS: In China, a preliminary version of a gauge of business activity, the Caixin purchasing managers' index, fell to an unexpectedly low 47.1 points.
27Numbers below 50 show a contraction.
28The devaluation of the yuan last week has shaken confidence in the world's No.
292 economy.
30The Shanghai Composite index suffered another steep drop of 4.3 percent on Friday.
31THE QUOTE: "China has been on a mission to keep up the illusion of a gradual slowdown, but dealers aren't buying it anymore," said David Madden, market analyst at IG.
32OH, DEERE: Deere & Co. fell $7.10, or 7 percent, to $83.55 after it cut its full-year outlook.
33It said it expects the weak agriculture and energy sectors to continue dragging down equipment sales.
34EUROPE DOWN: In Europe, France's CAC-40 declined 3.2 percent while Germany's DAX fell 2.9 percent.
35In Britain, the FTSE 100 index was down 2.8 percent.
36GREECE BACK, TOO: Greece looks headed for another election on Sept.
3720 provided opposition parties can't form a new government.
38Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is hoping to capitalize on his personal popularity in the election as he seeks a new mandate to govern.
39The country earlier this week got its hands on the first tranche of cash from its third international bailout.
40ANALYST TAKE: "While the decision to have a new vote is likely to increase political uncertainty in the short term .... the hope is that the more dysfunctional members of his government will get pushed to the sidelines," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets.
41ASIA'S DAY: Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was off 3 percent, Seoul's Kospi shed 2 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.5 percent.
42ENERGY: A slowdown in China has the potential to significantly crimp demand for oil.
43The benchmark U.S. crude plunged $1.27. or 3 percent, to $40.05 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
44It has now been in decline for eight consecutive weeks, the longest streak since 1986.
45Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell $1.33 to $45.30 in London.
46CURRENCY MARKETS: The euro rose 1.2 percent to $1.1369.
47The dollar fell 1.1 percent lower at 122.03 yen.