Nasdaq hit by election jitters

The continuing uncertainty over the outcome of the US presidential election contributed to a further dramatic fall in share prices in New York.

At one stage, the Nasdaq index of hi-tech shares fell by about five per cent, reaching its lowest level for a year. It suffered a similar drop on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was also slightly down.

The BBC Business Reporter says another reason for the sharp fall is a string of disappointing financial results in the computer and telecoms sector, which has prompted a stampede out of such shares.

Stock markets were also down in Frankfurt, London and Tokyo.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service