U.S. stock indexes fell sharply in early trading Tuesday, as concern grew about a stagnant economy in the United States and government debt in Europe.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 key stocks and the broader S&P 500 index are both off 2.1 percent, while the technology-laden NASDAQ is off 1.8 percent.

Stocks are mixed in afternoon trading in Europe.

London's Financial Times 100 index is up two-tenths of one percent. The CAC-40 in Paris is down 1.3 percent, while the DAX in Frankfurt is off 1.2 percent.

Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index dropped 2.2 percent to finish at 8,591. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose one-half of one percent to end at 19,711.

Gold is trading up $3.57 at $1,903.80 an ounce.

The dollar is trading up against both the euro and yen.