Stocks plunge to 8-month lows on growth fears

NEW YORK

Stocks fell sharply on Wall Street, shaving 496 points off the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday, as traders worried about signs of weaker economic growth in China and Europe. Disarray mounted surrounding Britain’s impending departure from the European Union.

Johnson & Johnson plunged after Reuters reported the company has known for decades that its talc sometimes contained asbestos, a claim the company denied.

Staff/wire reports