Crisis topples stocks as U.S. urges unity (Reuters)

By Daniel Trotta and Kevin Krolicki 6 minutes ago NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Governments around the world grasped at new measures to contain the fast-spreading credit crisis on Monday but stock, bond and commodity markets saw investors betting on deepening uncertainty and a sharp global downturn. U.S. officials called for a "forceful and coordinated" global reaction to the crisis as the Dow Jones industrials average fell 4.4 percent, below 10,000 for the first time in four years. The S&P 500 fell 4.9 percent to a five-year low. The Nasdaq dropped 5.1 percent in the first Wall Street session since the U.S. Congress approved a $700 billion bailout intended to reassure markets that help was on the way. Instead, a crisis that began with the overheated U.S. property market and the $11 trillion U.S. mortgage market showed... [read full story]