Housing, AIG Spur Losses

SEC moves to restrict short selling

(NEWSER) - Stocks plummeted again today as insecurity about the financial system gripped the markets, the Wall Street Journal reports. The AIG bailout proved to be of little comfort to traders, who quickly began betting on the next big firm to fall. The Dow closed down 449.36 points to 10,609.66. The Nasdaq fell 109.05, closing at 2,098.85, and the S&P 500 lost 57.21 points, settling at 1,156.39. More»

Lehman bankruptcy swamps week's first trading day

(NEWSER) - After a midday lull, stocks plummeted again late today as traders adjusted to the failure of Lehman Brothers and the acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, Bloomberg reports. Lehman’s stock alone was down 94.9%. The Dow fell 504.48 to 10,917.51. The S&P 500 lost 59.01, its biggest drop since the 2001 terror attacks, closing at 1,192.69; the Nasdaq fell 81.36 to 2,179.91. More»

Dow takes 300-point tumble early, but market remaining stable

(NEWSER) - Stocks have taken a beating today, with the Dow off more than 300 points early, the Wall Street Journal reports, but there’s been a noticeable lack of panic among traders. If the current loss holds steady, it will represent just the sixth-worst day this year, despite the massive upheaval of the weekend. More»

Lehman's floundering continues to stir fear in financial sector

(NEWSER) - The markets ended mixed today, as Lehman Brothers foundered and financial firms continued to take hits, MarketWatch reports. Weekly gains were slim, despite Sunday’s Fannie and Freddie bailout, which was supposed to calm investor fears and boost the markets. The Dow closed down 11.72 at 11,421.99. The Nasdaq rose 3.05 to 2,261.27, while the S&P 500 gained 2.64, closing at 1,251.69. More»

Investors predict payroll gains for March

(NEWSER) - Gains in financial stocks kept the markets afloat today. Both AIG and Citigroup closed up, in part because of a successful offering of $2 billion in trust preferred securities, the Wall Street Journal reports.

• The Dow gained 2.95 points to close at 10,567.33.
• The Nasdaq added 18.27 to settle at 2,358.95.
• The S&P 500 rose 5.17, closing at 1,145.61.