Today's shortened trading day was supposed to be a calm one, given the typically low trading volumes seen on Black Friday, but fears of a new COVID-19 variant found in South Africa is shaking up sentiment.
Dow futures plunged more than 800 points overnight, while contracts linked to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell nearly 2% and 1%, respectively.
WTI crude oil futures also tumbled more than 5% to under $75 as the U.K. imposed fresh travel restrictions and investors reacted to panic over future demand.