Plunging Stock Market Suffers Worst Month In 17 Years

August 2015 has proved to be the worst August in 17 years for the stock markets, as the Dow Jones plunged 6.4%.

Marketwatch.com reports:

 Comparing the month with other Augusts, the blue-chip index registered its worst August since 1998, based on data from Dow Jones.

Overall it was the sixth worst monthly performance for the Dow and the worst since May 2010, when the Dow dropped 7.9%, according to FactSet data.

Meanwhile, the broader U.S. stock benchmark, the S&P 500 SPX, -0.84% posted a 6.3% fall in August, its worst monthly tumble in more than three years. Stacked up against other August returns, the S&P 500 marked its worst fall since 2001, when it tumbled 6.41%, according to Dow Jones research.

The Nasdaq’s August performance—off 6.9% on the month—was similarly steep, with the tech-heavy index marking its worst performance on the month in 14 years, as well as ringing up its worst monthly return overall in three years, according to Dow Jones and FactSet data.