Markets down over trade war, gov’t shutdown fears

Uncertainty is the word of the week as Congress flirts with a government shutdown, a multi-country trade war looms and U.S. equity markets nosedive.

Let’s start with the market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down more than 550 points, or 1.3%, at 1 p.m., while the S&P is down 131 points, or 2.2%. The tech-heavy NASDAQ has been hit especially hard, losing 3.5%.