Euro Anxiety Submarines U.S. Stocks Again

Stocks recorded losses for a third day in row Wednesday as commodity and energy stocks fell amid persistent concerns that European banking officials aren’t doing enough to safeguard the region – and the rest of the world – from a more severe economic downturn.

Some investors and analysts are criticizing the European Central Bank for not buying more bonds of troubled European countries, a move that was widely seen in markets as a requisite next step following last week's EU summit on strengthening fiscal unity in the bloc.

For the day, the Dow tumbled 131 points to finish at 11,823.48 while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 shed 40 points and 14 points, respectively.

Here are some more details from Wednesday’s trading session:

Dow Jones Industrial Average:

  • Down 131.46 points, or 1.10%, to 11823.48
  • Down three consecutive trading days and four of the last five sessions.
  • Down 360.78 points, or 2.96%, over the three-day period.
  • Biggest three-day drop (points and percentage) since the three-day period ended November 23, 2011.
  • Lowest close since November 29, 2011.
  • An intraday high of 11950.02 occurred at the open today.
  • An intraday low of 11786.47 occurred at 15:10:00 today, representing a decrease of 168.47 points, or 1.41%.
  • Six of the 30 component stocks rose, 23 fell, one was unchanged.
  • Today's top five contributors to The Dow's movement and their point contribution: MRK (4.31), JPM (1.67), GE (1.44), PFE (0.76), WMT (0.38).
  • Today's bottom five laggards: CAT (-30.12), CVX (-23.39), IBM (-18.39), XOM (-8.25), UTX (-7.80).
  • Down 2341.05 points, or 16.53% from its record close of 14164.53 on October 9, 2007.
  • Up 3.19% from 52 weeks ago.
  • Up 80.59% from its 12-year closing low of 6547.05 on March 9, 2009.
  • Down 7.71% from its 2011 closing high of 12810.54 on April 29.
  • Up 10.96% from its 2011 closing low of 10655.30 on October 3.
  • Month-to-date: down 1.84%.
  • Year-to-date: up 2.12%.

Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index:

  • Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index, 12528.09 (prelim)*, down 153.30 points, or 1.21%, or approximately $181 billion in market capitalization.
  • Down three consecutive trading days and four of the last five sessions.
  • Down 485.02 points, or 3.73%, over the three-day period.
  • Biggest three-day drop (points and percentage) since the three-day ended period November 23, 2011.
  • Lowest close since November 29, 2011.
  • Down 3217.30 points, or 20.43% (approximately $4.5 trillion in market cap), from its record close of 15745.39 on October 9, 2007.
  • Up 84.23% (approximately $6.7 trillion in market cap), from the 12-½ year closing low of 6800.08 on March 9, 2009.
  • Down 2.73% over the past 52 weeks.
  • Down 12.44% from its 2011 closing high of 14308.37 on April 29.
  • Up 10.88% from its 2011 closing low of 11299.07 on October 3.
  • Year-to-date: down 3.14 %.
  • Year-to-date: down 4.59%, or approximately $810 billion in market cap.

Data courtesy of Dow Jones Indexes.

 

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