Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (-0.8%), Nasdaq Composite (-1.2%), and DJIA (-0.5%) remain firmly lower after the first hour of today's session. 

The CBOE Volatility Index is up 9.1% to 22.47, suggesting a greater demand for downside protection amid heightened weakness across growth stocks today. 

Tesla (TSLA 401.49, -15.95, -3.82%) in particular is a mega-cap laggard, weighing on the consumer discretionary sector (-1.3%).

Elsewhere in the sector, Genuine Parts (GPC 128.32, -18.84, -12.80%) is sharply lower after an earnings miss and announcing its intention to separate the company into two independent, publicly traded companies.