Dow falls 512 in steepest decline since '08 crisis

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - NEW YORK (AP) — Gripped by fear of a new recession, Wall Street suffered its worst day Thursday since the financial crisis in the fall of 2008. The firestorm of selling that erased more than 500 points off the Dow Jones industrial average then spread overseas. The sell-off wiped out the Dow's remaining gains for 2011. It put the Dow and broader stock indexes into what investors call a correction — down 10 percent from their highs in the spring. In Friday trading in Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average was down more than 3 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 4 percent. "We are continuing to be bombarded by worries about the global economy," said Bill Stone, the chief investment strategist for PNC Financial. Across the financial markets, the day was reminiscent of the wild swings that defined the financial crisis in September and October three years ago. Gold prices briefly hit a record high. Oil fell even more than stocks — 6 percent, or $5.30 a barrel. And frightened investors were so desperate to get into some government bonds that they were willing accept almost no return on their money. It was the most alarming day yet in the almost uninterrupted selling that has swept Wall Street for two weeks. The Dow has lost more than 1,300 points, or 10.5 percent. By one broad measure kept by Dow Jones, almost $1.9 trillion in market value has disappeared. For the day, the Dow closed down 512.76 points, at 11,383.68. It was the steepest point decline since Dec. 1, 2008. Read more

Dow falls 512 in steepest decline since '08 crisis