Stock Sell-Off Rings Out 2nd Quarter

Rate cut expected in unusually tough decision this week

(NEWSER) - All eyes are on the Fed this week, with Wall Street expecting a quarter-point rate cut when the group meets Tuesday and Wednesday. But the decision is an usually tough one, the AP reports, with the tight rope between controlling inflation and keeping markets fluid more precarious than it has been for a while. Most investors think the Fed is more concerned about the credit crunch, but how long it will feel that way is unclear. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks took a turn for the worse at the open today, heading south after yesterday’s rally. The Dow fell 67 points, while the S&P declined 0.8%. The Nasdaq fell 0.5%, but component Sun Microsystems soared 65% on news IBM might acquire it. Investors are anxiously awaiting guidance out of today's Fed meeting, even though the target rate’s unlikely to move. The consumer price index rose 0.4% last month, a bigger-than-expected jump. More»

Dow up 140

(NEWSER) - Stocks surged at the opening bell this morning, as traders registered approval of the central banks’ move to inject $360 billion into global money markets. The Dow jumped 118 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq rose 1.6% and 2% respectively. “These joint interventions are welcomed by the market, showing the Fed is trying to solve the logjam,” said one economist. More»

Dow returns to 11K-plus territory

(NEWSER) - As AIG's future became somewhat clearer, the wildly fluctuating markets settled into positive territory at the end of today's session. Rumors that the Fed will bail out the mega-insurer helped nearly erase a 74% decline, Bloomberg reports. The Dow closed up 141.51 at 11,059.02, the Nasdaq gained 22.45 to 2,202.36, and the S&P 500 rose 20.86 to 1,213.56. More»

Fed chief soothes markets; Lehman may have a buyer

(NEWSER) - Stocks rallied today amid light trading but still saw weekly losses as oil prices fell and financials rebounded, helped in part by a speech by Ben Bernanke that eased inflation fears, MarketWatch reports. The Dow surged 197.85 to 11,628.06; the Nasdaq gained 34.33, closing at 2,414.71; and the S&P 500 climbed 14.47 to 1,292.19. More»