SIVs are complex investments set up by banks and sold to investors and have come under pressure in recent months because of their investment strategy, which involves the use of mortgage investments and other now-risky debt. The resulting drop in demand hurt the value of the SIVs.
Declining issues outnumbered advancers by more than two to one on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 1.12 billion shares.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 15.53, or 2.02 percent, to 753.93.
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