Markets plunge on unexpected drop in home sales

Existing home sales unexpectedly fell last month to send the markets tumbling to a sharply lower close with the Dow plunging 107 points to 17,172. Nasdaq plummeted 52 points to 4,527.

On the upside

TTM Technologies (Nasdaq: TTMI) will acquire Viasystems Group (Nasdaq: VIAS) in a cash and stock deal valued at approximately $927 million including the assumption of debt.

Alcobra (Nasdaq: ADHD) completed all follow-up visits to patients enrolled in a Phase III clinical trial of Metadoxine Extended Release.

Bargain hunters snapped up shares of ReWalk Robotics (Nasdaq: RWLK).

On the downside

The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia's economic minister expects Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL) to file for bankruptcy.

Profit taking weighed down shares of Alibaba (NYSE: BABA).

Speculation that billionaire investor Carl Icahn sold his stake in Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) sent shares of the nutritional supplement company tumbling.

In the broad market, declining issues outpaced advancers by a margin of nearly 5 to 1 on the NYSE and by nearly 4 to 1 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 tumbled 16 points to 1994. Bitcoin rose $7 to $395.