DOW PLUNGE | Global stocks tumble after Britain votes to leave the EU

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are plunging in the U.S. and worldwide today after Britain voted to leave the European Union.

The result stunned investors, who reacted by rushing to the safety of gold and U.S. government bonds as they wondered what will come next for Britain, Europe and the global economy.

U.S. stocks took far smaller losses than markets in Europe and Asia, but were still sharply lower in morning trading. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 408 points, or 2.2 percent, to 17,608 as of 10:20 a.m. It was down as much as 538 points earlier

The S&P 500 is on pace for its biggest loss since January, down 50 points, or 2.4 percent, to 2,064. The Nasdaq composite dropped 134 points, or 2.7 percent, to 4,775.

Britons voted to leave the EU over concerns including immigration and regulation. It's far from clear what that will mean for international trade or for Europe, as the EU, which was formed in the decades following World War II, has never before lost a member state.