NEW YORK, Dec. 1 -- The stock market on Monday suffered one of its worst days since the financial meltdown began, slicing 680 points off the Dow Jones industrial average as Wall Street snapped out of its daydream of a rally and once again faced the harsh reality of a recession.

U.S. stocks staged the biggest weekly rally in more than 30 years after the government agreed to protect Citigroup from more losses and automakers weighed cutting costs to win government aid.

U.S. stocks dropped for a third straight week on signs of a deepening recession and growing concern about the fate of Citigroup and the nation's automakers.

U.S. stocks fell for the second straight week as profit outlooks worsened for companies from Goldman Sachs to Best Buy, the Treasury revised its bailout plan and bankruptcy speculation dogged General Motors.

U.S. stocks fell last week, extending declines after the worst month in 21 years, as jobs and profit data stoked concern that President-elect Barack Obama will inherit an economy deep in a recession.

Stocks staged their steepest weekly surge in 34 years after the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut and signs that the credit crisis was ebbing helped boost equities, which are trading at the lowest valuations in two decades.

NEW YORK, Oct. 27 -- Wall Street ended another highly volatile session with a big last-minute loss as the market's stubborn worries about a protracted economic downturn and tight credit erased budding optimism about a housing recovery.

Stocks tumbled last week, driving the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index toward its steepest monthly loss since 1938, as investors worried about the global economy sliding into a recession.

U.S. stocks ended a rollercoaster week with the Dow Jones industrial average climbing 4.8 percent after the government's plans to buy stakes in banks spurred the biggest one-day rally since the Great Depression.

NEW YORK, Oct. 13 -- Wall Street shrugged off its worst week ever and staged the biggest single-day rally since the Great Depression, catapulting the Dow Jones industrial average to a record 936-point gain and offering relief from eight consecutive days of heavy losses. U.S. stock market paper gains totaled $1.2 trillion Monday, according to the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 composite index, which represents nearly all stocks traded in the United States.

Stocks plunged, sending the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index to its worst week in 75 years on concern the credit crisis will spread from banks to consumer companies and energy producers, triggering a global recession.

NEW YORK, Oct. 9 -- Stocks plunged in the final hour of trading Thursday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average down more than 675 points, or more than 7 percent, to its lowest level in five years after a major credit-rating company said it was considering cutting its rating on General Motors. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index also fell more than 7 percent. The declines came on the anniversary of the closing highs of the Dow and the S&P.

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 -- The misery worsened on Wall Street Tuesday, with stocks piling on the losses late in the session and bringing the two-day decline in the Dow Jones industrials to more than 875 points as concerns escalate about credit markets and the financial sector. The Dow lost more than 500 points and all the major indexes slid more than 5 percent.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6 -- Wall Street joined in a worldwide sell-off Monday, driving the Dow Jones industrials to their biggest point loss ever during a trading day. Even a big afternoon rally failed to keep the Dow from its first close below 10,000 since 2004.

U.S. stocks fell last week by the most since the September 2001 terrorist attacks as the passage of a massive financial-market rescue package was overshadowed by worries that tightening credit markets will prolong an economic slowdown.

NEW YORK, Oct. 3 -- Congressional approval of the government's $700 billion financial rescue plan Friday did little to lift the financial markets from their growing dejection over the obstacles still facing the economy. Wall Street ended an intensely volatile week with the Dow Jones industrial average falling 157 points and the major indexes all suffering big losses.

NEW YORK, Oct. 2 -- Pessimism about a protracted economic downturn washed over the markets Thursday, sending stocks plunging and further tightening the credit markets. Reports on declining factory orders and a seven-year high in jobless claims stoked fears that the government's financial rescue plan will not ward off a recession.

NEW YORK, Oct. 1 -- U.S. stocks flirted with gains Wednesday but finished lower as investors waited for Congress to decide the fate of the $700 billion bailout proposal and considered the economic threats that might remain even if the legislation passed.

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 -- Wall Street snapped back Tuesday after its biggest sell-off in years as expectations grew that lawmakers would salvage a $700 billion rescue plan for the financial sector. But the frozen credit markets where businesses turn to raise money showed no sign of relief.

NEW YORK, Sept. 29 -- The government's financial bailout plan failed in Congress on Monday, and stocks plunged precipitously, hurtling the Dow Jones industrial average down nearly 780 points in its largest one-day point drop ever. Credit markets froze further as fears spread that the economy was headed into a growing credit and economic crisis.

Stocks fell last week as Congress failed to approve a $700 billion bank bailout.

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 -- Tension grew in the financial markets Wednesday, sending most stocks moderately lower as investors worried about the effectiveness of a still-emerging government plan to rescue banks from crippling debt. The credit markets also showed added strain, with demand rising for short-term Treasury bills, considered the safest of investments.

Stocks sank yesterday as lawmakers questioned the Bush administration's financial rescue package.

NEW YORK, Sept. 22 -- Stocks fell sharply Monday as investors grew nervous about the government's plan to buy $700 billion in banks' mortgage debt.

Stocks posted the steepest two-day rally since the 1987 crash as government efforts to bolster banks helped the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rebound from its biggest losses in seven years.

NEW YORK, Sept. 18 -- Wall Street rallied in a stunning late-session turnaround Thursday, catapulting the Dow Jones industrial average 400 points after a report that the federal government might create an entity to absorb banks' bad debt. The report also cooled investors' fervor for the safest types of investments, such as government debt.

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 -- Wall Street plunged again Wednesday as anxieties about the financial system ran high after the government's bailout of the insurer American International Group, with investors wary of many banking stocks.

NEW YORK, Sept. 16 -- Wall Street ended another tumultuous session with a sizable gain Tuesday, partly recovering from its worst sell-off in years after the Federal Reserve said it was keeping interest rates steady. Speculation that troubled insurer American International Group might come up with a much-needed cash injection made room for many financial stocks to rally.

NEW YORK, Sept. 15 -- A stunning makeover of Wall Street sent stocks falling precipitously Monday, with the Dow Jones industrials suffering their worst slide since just after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Investors recoiled after a shakeup of the financial industry that took out two storied names: Lehman Brothers Holdings and Merrill Lynch.

Stocks rose last week after the rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and after improved outlooks for transport companies overshadowed concern that bank failures will spread.

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 -- Stocks finished another volatile session mixed Friday, as gains in the energy, utilities and materials sectors offset some of Wall Street's concern over the fate of Lehman Brothers Holdings.

NEW YORK, Sept. 11 -- Stocks made a sizable comeback Thursday, as investors snapped up some of the financial sector's stronger players and pumped money into materials and transportation.

NEW YORK, Sept. 10 -- Stocks ended an up-and-down session moderately higher Wednesday as investors bought shares of energy, materials and consumer-staples companies but remained cautious about the financial sector.

NEW YORK, Sept. 9 -- Stocks tumbled Tuesday, nearly erasing the previous session's big gains, after fresh concerns about the stability of Lehman Brothers Holdings punctured optimism about the financial sector. Each of the major indexes lost more than 2 percent.

NEW YORK, Sept. 8 -- Stocks rallied Monday as investors placed bets that a recovery in the financial and housing sectors is more likely to occur after the U.S. government's move to bail out the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Dow Jones industrials gained nearly 300 points.

U.S. stocks dropped last week, sending the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index to its steepest weekly retreat in three months. Commodity producers led the pack as falling prices for fuel and materials signaled that global economic growth was slowing.

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 -- Investors wrestled with intensifying economic worries Friday, extending sharp losses after a disheartening jobs report before engaging in some mild bargain hunting that gave the market some modest gains. The major indexes ended the week with big declines, a sign that investors are growing increasingly discouraged.

NEW YORK, Sept. 3 -- Wall Street finished mixed in fickle trading Wednesday, with investors unsettled about the economy ahead of Friday's employment report and only somewhat relieved about sliding commodities prices.

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 -- Wall Street gave up a sharp advance and turned moderately lower Tuesday after falling oil prices failed to calm nervousness about the economy and the financial sector.

U.S. stocks fell as a gain in oil prices and lower-than-estimated earnings at Dell spurred concern that a year-long drop in profits isn't over.

NEW YORK, Aug. 29 -- Stocks tumbled Friday after the government said personal incomes fell last month by the largest amount in nearly three years while consumer spending slowed. Meanwhile, investors charted the path of Hurricane Gustav as it heads toward the Gulf of Mexico and its oil rigs and refineries.

NEW YORK, Aug. 28 -- Wall Street barreled higher Thursday after a better-than-expected reading on gross domestic product and a drop in jobless claims gave investors some reassurance that the economy is holding up.

NEW YORK, Aug. 27 -- Wall Street posted a sizable advance Wednesday after the government reported a larger-than-expected increase in orders for big-ticket manufactured goods, indicating that the economy could be stronger than some investors thought.

NEW YORK, Aug. 26 -- Wall Street ended mixed Tuesday as concerns about the path of Hurricane Gustav sent oil prices higher and offset a better-than-expected reading on consumer confidence.

U.S. stocks fell, sending the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index to its first weekly decline since July, as oil prices climbed and concern grew that the government may bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

NEW YORK, Aug. 21 -- Wall Street finished mixed Thursday after investors largely shrugged off a jump in oil prices and focused instead on a bullish call on Lehman Brothers Holdings that eased worries about the financial sector.

NEW YORK, Aug. 20 -- Wall Street scored a moderate gain after a volatile session Wednesday as the price of oil fluctuated and investors had differing opinions about the stability of the financial sector.

NEW YORK, Aug. 19 -- Wall Street fell sharply for a second consecutive session Tuesday after a hefty jump in wholesale inflation and a drop in new-home construction gave investors more reason to think an economic recovery is far off.

Stocks rose for the third straight week after oil's continued retreat and better-than-expected results from J.C. Penney and Kohl's lifted consumer shares.

NEW YORK, Aug. 15 -- Wall Street was mixed Friday after playing out a now-familiar scenario: Upbeat sentiment about falling oil prices flagged as concerns continued over weak credit markets and the economy.

NEW YORK, Aug. 14 -- Stocks rebounded Thursday, rising sharply as oil prices fell and investors took advantage of bargains in financial stocks after two days of sharp declines.

NEW YORK, Aug. 13 -- Wall Street ended an erratic session Wednesday with a lopsided loss as the blue chips fell on investors' concerns about financial companies and as high-tech stocks fared better on news from the semiconductor sector. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 100 points, but the other major indicators finished with single-digit losses.

NEW YORK, Aug. 12 -- Wall Street skidded lower Tuesday as downbeat news from J.P. Morgan Chase and other financial companies raised the market's anxiety about the continuing effect of the credit crisis on the economy.

NEW YORK, Aug. 11 -- Wall Street advanced Monday but gave back some of its gains after crude oil prices pulled off their recent lows and the Federal Reserve said more banks are tightening lending standards.

Stocks rose last week as retailers, automakers and restaurants gained on speculation that earnings will improve as oil retreats.

NEW YORK, Aug. 8 -- Wall Street rebounded smartly Friday, shooting higher as a surge in the dollar and another plunge in oil prices eased some of investors' worries about losses at mortgage finance company Fannie Mae. All the major indicators had their best weekly gains since April.

NEW YORK, Aug. 7 -- Wall Street tumbled Thursday as further trouble in the financial sector, higher unemployment and lackluster retail sales touched off fresh concerns about the economy.

NEW YORK, Aug. 6 -- Wall Street logged another winning day Wednesday as a drop in oil prices and a better-than-expected profit report from technology bellwether Cisco Systems helped corral the market's worries about the financial sector.

NEW YORK, Aug. 5 -- Wall Street extended its advance Tuesday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates the same and assuaged some of the market's fears about the economy.

NEW YORK, Aug. 4 -- Wall Street fell Monday in an erratic session dominated by worries about inflation, which were somewhat soothed by crude oil's drop to its lowest price in three months.

The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose after oil posted its first weekly gain in a month, lifting energy shares, and as investors speculated that the worst of the subprime crisis had passed.

NEW YORK, Aug. 1 -- Wall Street retreated again Friday after readings on jobs and manufacturing -- the first reports for the third quarter -- indicated that businesses and workers still face a tough economy. The major indexes ended a turbulent week narrowly mixed.

NEW YORK, July 31 -- Wall Street sank Thursday after weak readings on economic growth and the job market touched off renewed concerns about the financial health of businesses and consumers.

NEW YORK, July 30 -- Wall Street soared for the second consecutive day Wednesday, rallying in the last hour of trading after a rebound in financial stocks and optimism about private-sector jobs.

NEW YORK, July 29 -- Wall Street shot higher Tuesday, gaining back the previous session's sharp losses and then some, after a drop in oil prices and a rise in consumer confidence gave investors some hope for a letup in the economy's slump.

U.S. stocks declined last week, resuming a two-month slump, after home sales dropped more than economists forecast and bond investor Bill Gross predicted $1 trillion in losses for banks and brokerages.

NEW YORK, July 25 -- Wall Street ended a volatile week with a moderate gain Friday as better-than-expected economic data placated a market pummeled a day earlier.

NEW YORK, July 24 -- Wall Street abruptly ended an earnings-driven rally and closed sharply lower Thursday after a steeper-than-expected decline in existing-home sales and worries about the financial sector chilled the market's recent optimism. The major indicators fell about 2 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which lost more than 280 points.

NEW YORK, July 23 -- Stocks advanced for a second consecutive session Wednesday as another decline in oil prices and several upbeat profit reports eased some of investors' concerns about the economy.

NEW YORK, July 22 -- Wall Street shook off early doldrums and closed sharply higher Tuesday after another drop in oil prices encouraged investors to set aside concern about the financial sector and go bargain-hunting.

NEW YORK, July 21 -- Wall Street turned in a mixed performance Monday as the price of oil rose and investors cashed in some of their gains from the market's big rally last week.

U.S. stocks rallied last week, halting a six-week slide, after earnings from J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo topped analysts' estimates and regulators stepped up efforts to buoy the major mortgage-finance firms.

NEW YORK, July 18 -- Wall Street closed out the week with a mixed performance Friday after disappointing high-tech earnings punctured some of investors' enthusiasm over better-than-expected bank results. But the major indexes still ended the week with big gains, the result of rising optimism about the troubled financial sector.

NEW YORK, July 17 -- Wall Street shot higher Thursday, extending its rally into a second session as tumbling energy prices bolstered investors' enthusiasm that followed stronger-than-expected quarterly reports from companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase and United Technologies.

NEW YORK, July 16 -- Wall Street bounded higher Wednesday thanks in part to a drop in oil prices. The Dow Jones industrial average posted its best daily gain in three months.

NEW YORK, July 15 -- Wall Street ended a whipsaw day mostly lower, as fears of escalating instability in the financial sector kept investors on edge despite a steep retreat in oil. The Dow Jones industrial average closed below 11,000 for the first time since July 2006.

NEW YORK, July 14 -- Wall Street extended its slump into yet another week Monday as investors worried that even a safety net set up for mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac won't head off further trouble in the markets.

Stocks fell for a sixth week, sending the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index into a bear market, as investors drove Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sharply lower and fuel prices surged to records.

NEW YORK, July 11 -- Investors' angst over the fallout from the credit crisis made for a turbulent trading day Friday -- stocks tumbled, soared and then fell again as investors tried to assess the dangers faced by the country's biggest mortgage financiers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

U.S. stocks staged a steep sell-off yesterday as widening concerns about the health of the financial sector continued to deflate investors' hopes for an economic rebound later this year.

NEW YORK, July 8 -- Shares finished sharply higher Tuesday as oil prices dropped for the second straight day and investors were encouraged by the possibility of more help for the ailing financial system. All three major stock indexes rose, led by steep increases in financial and technology stocks.

NEW YORK, July 7 -- Wall Street lost more ground in extremely volatile trading Monday, as investors recoiled at a cautious economic outlook from a Federal Reserve official and the possibility of more financial troubles at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

U.S. stocks fell last week, giving the Dow Jones industrial average a 20 percent bear-market drop from October's all-time high as record oil prices threatened global economic growth.

NEW YORK, July 3 -- Wall Street capped a shortened trading week with mixed results Thursday after the release of some uneven economic data: news of a contraction in the services sector and a tame reading on employment.

NEW YORK, July 2 -- Wall Street resumed its sell-off Wednesday after oil hit a new record and a bearish analyst report renewed concerns that General Motors could run out of cash.

NEW YORK, July 1 -- Wall Street began the third quarter with an erratic session and modest gain Tuesday after a mix of news made it clear that the country still has deep economic problems but may also have some positive trends -- including some better-than-expected sales for General Motors.

NEW YORK, June 30 -- Wall Street ended a grueling first half of the year quietly Monday, closing mixed as investors again based their trades on what has become the dominant force in the market: the price of oil. The major indicators closed out the first six months of 2008 with double-digit declines and are perilously close to a bear market.

U.S. stocks slumped last week, pushing the Dow Jones industrial average to the brink of a bear market on mounting concern that write-downs and record oil prices will keep eroding profit and economic growth.

NEW YORK, June 26 -- A barrage of bad news including yet another record high for oil drove stocks sharply lower Thursday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average down to its lowest level in nearly two years.

NEW YORK, June 25 -- Wall Street ended an erratic day with a modest gain after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and issued a mixed assessment of the economy.

NEW YORK, June 24 -- Wall Street ended an erratic session moderately lower Tuesday as concerns grew about the effect of high fuel costs on consumers and corporate profits. Treasury prices rose on the economic uncertainty.

NEW YORK, June 23 -- Stocks stalled Monday, ending mostly lower after rising oil prices and ongoing worries about the financial sector gave investors little reason to buy a day ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting.

Stocks fell last week as Fifth Third Bancorp's dividend cut and worse-than-estimat