Dow Tumbles Over 300 Points

Markets continue 7th day of wild variations

(NEWSER) - Stocks seesawed today as good economic data on industry and the housing sector drove big early gains, which then fell victim to selloffs in the financial sector, the Wall Street Journal reports.

• The Dow climbed 76.71 points to close at 9,789.44.
• Nasdaq tacked on 4.09 to end at 2,049.20.
• The S&P gained 6.60 and wound up at 1,042.88.

(NEWSER) - Yesterday’s rally segued into a regular day today as markets remained mostly flat on mixed economic data, the Wall Street Journal reports. Home sales were up, but incomes down, and an expected report on rising US oil reserves hurt energy stocks. “It's a day of consolidation after we've had a very strong run,” an analyst says. The Dow was up 33.63 to 9,320.19, the S&P rose 3.02 to 1,005.65, and NASDAQ gained 2.70 to end at 2,011.31. More»

(NEWSER) - A positive report on consumer confidence gave stocks a boost today, despite poor numbers from the housing sector, the Wall Street Journal reports; financials and construction-related stocks jumped as much as 5%. Home prices, however, were down 19.1% from the first quarter of 2008. The Dow gained 196.17 to 8,473.49. The S&P was up 23.33 to 910.33. The Nasdaq tacked on 58.42, ending at 1,750.43. More»

(NEWSER) - A bad Case-Shiller number helped push stocks lower at the open, with the Dow down 37 points, and the Nasdaq and S&P down 0.4% and 0.5% respectively. Home prices fell more than 10% year-over-year in 15 of the 20 major metropolitan areas monitored by the Case-Shiller index, reports the Wall Street Journal. Traders are also nervous about North Korea’s missile tests. GM shares were down 20%, as it faces what is expected to be its last pre-bankruptcy week. More»

Bad news in housing and predictions of recession sour stocks

(NEWSER) - Stocks plunged today on a spread of bad economic news, including signs that the housing market is not improving and dire predictions by the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate committee, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow fell 427.47 to close at 7,997.28. The Nasdaq lost 96.85, settling at 1,386.42, while the S&P 500 shed 52.54 to close at 806.58. More»