Stocks Plummet; Dow Falls 281

Good news from RIM, Oracle help lift tech sector

(NEWSER) - Stocks ended mixed today as a rally on the news of a White House bailout for the auto industry fizzled over concerns for the larger economy, MarketWatch reports. General Motors led advancing stocks with a 22.7% gain, and the Dow closed up 25.88 at 8,579.11. The Nasdaq gained 11.95, closing at 1,564.32, while the S&P 500 rose 2.60, to settle at 887.88. More»

Dow falls below 9,000 for first time since 2003

(NEWSER) - Stocks plunged in the last hours of trading today as a number of government moves did little to shore up investors' confidence, MarketWatch reports. The Dow’s losses accelerated sharply after it dropped below the psychological threshold of 9,000 points. It closed down 678.91 at 8,579.19; the Nasdaq lost 95.21, closing at 1,645.12, and the S&P 500 fell 75.02 to 909.92. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks shot higher at the open this morning, as rising oil prices and strong manufacturing data from China outweighed news of GM's bankruptcy. The Dow rose 102 points; as of next Monday, the index will no longer include GM and Citigroup. The Nasdaq and S&P were each up 1.3%. Oil rose more than $2 to $68, driven in part by China’s announcement that industrial activity would increase for the third straight month. More»

Banks rally after comments by Treasury secretary, Bank CEOs

(NEWSER) - Stocks gained today on upbeat comments from Timothy Geithner and the CEOs of Citigroup and US Bancorp, the Wall Street Journal reports. Banks rallied after the Treasury secretary said that the “vast majority” have sufficient capital. The Dow closed up 127.83 at 7,969.56. The Nasdaq rose 35.64, settling at 1,643.85, and the S&P 500 added 17.69 to close at 850.08. More»

(NEWSER) - More bankruptcy rumblings from General Motors sent stocks down early today, but the blow was cushioned by good news from the financial sector, the Wall Street Journal reports. Citi and Bank of America had double-digit gains ahead of what are expected to be solid earnings reports. The Dow finished down 25.57 at 8,057.81; the Nasdaq rose 0.77, to 1,653.31; and the S&P 500 gained 2.17 to 858.73. More»