Falling crude oil prices weighed the markets down to a sharply lower open with the Dow tumbling 103 points to 17,743. Nasdaq dropped 32 points to 5,109.

On the upside

Keurig Green Mountain (Nasdaq: GMCR) will be taken private by an investor group led by JAB Holding for approximately $13.9 billion in cash.

MEI Pharma (Nasdaq: MEIP) reported positive results from a Phase II study of Pracinostat to treat acute myeloid leukemia.

SodaStream International (Nasdaq: SODA) will list its ordinary shares on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

On the downside

Threshold Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: THLD) reported disappointing results from two Phase 3 studies of its cancer treatment evofosfamide.

Shares of Vanguard Natural Resources (Nasdaq: VNR) extended its losses.

Roth Capital downgraded Bluebird Bio (Nasdaq: BLUE) from a Buy rating to a Neutral rating and slashed its price target fro $121 to $62.

In the broad market, declining issues outpaced advancers by a margin of nearly 7 to 2 on the NYSE and by more than 5 to 3 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 fell 13 points to 2,078. Bitcoin added $2 to $361.