California Home Loan 360

Investors worry the brokerage may not be the last victim of ongoing turmoil. The Dow falls 194 points. News that the Federal Reserve had stepped in to help prop up faltering investment bank Bear Stearns sent a shudder through Wall Street on Friday, slamming stock prices and fanning expectations for a potentially dramatic interest rate cut by the Fed next week.

Worry over the housing-centered credit crunch intensifies after two mortgage investors say they cannot meet margin calls. The S & P 500 falls 29 points to 1,304 -- an 18-month low. Stock prices tumbled Thursday, driving some key indexes below the lows they set in January, amid deepening worries about the effect of debt problems on the economy.

The Dow climbs 176 points as investors shrug off declines in overseas markets and a gloomy report on new-home sales. U.S. stock prices rallied Monday, despite a dismal report on new-home sales and sharp declines overnight in overseas markets, as investors counted on another big interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve this week.

Prices rise as news of better profit at IBM boosts hope for a good earnings season. The Dow climbs 171 points. Stock prices rebounded sharply Monday after last week's market rout, boosted by better-than-expected profit at IBM .

The Dow plunges 211 points in pre-holiday trading as investors turn to the stability of bonds. The 10-year T-note yield briefly falls below 4%. Investors had little to give thanks for Wednesday as a sharp drop in stock prices pushed the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 index into negative territory for the year.

Investors trade conservatively as they await a Fed decision today on interest rates. The Dow drops 77 points. Stock prices pulled back Tuesday as investors, uneasy about a drop in consumer confidence, traded cautiously before an impending decision on interest rates by the Federal Reserve.