Dow Jones Drops 500 Points, Oil Surges 8 Percent at Opening Bell

Gold, natural gas, and the U.S. dollar also rallied in the aftermath of the joint U.S.–Israel attack on Iran.

The New York Stock Exchange in New York City on April 4, 2025. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

U.S. stocks fell and crude oil prices surged at the March 2 opening bell as investors reacted to the joint U.S.–Israel strikes on Iran, concerned over instability in the Middle East.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 500 points, or about 1.1 percent. The tech-driven Nasdaq composite index dropped by nearly 400 points, or 1.4 percent. The broader S&P 500 fell by 1.2 percent.