Stocks fell at the open on Friday, extending Thursday's steep declines, as concerns over the euro-zone debt crisis and U.S. financial reform fractured investor confidence in risky assets.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 122.89 points, or 1.22 percent, to 9,945.12. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 13.19 points, or 1.23 percent, to 1,058.40. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 32.02 points, or 1.45 percent, to 2,171.99.

The S&P 500 dropped below the intraday level hit during the still unexplained market plunge on May 6.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe.)