Chaotic day ends with the Dow Jones off 3.8 percent

Panic came to Wall Street on Monday morning, but its stay was brief, at least for one day. The Dow Jones industrials finished more than 360 points lower, dropping below the 10,000 mark since October 2004, as markets around the world spiraled downward in the face of a banking crisis that has tightened its grip on the global economy. But the outcome could have been worse. After 2 p.m., the Dow was on track for an ignominious record — 800 points lower in a single session, worse than the 777-point drop a week ago. At one point, the broader stock market had fallen about 8 percent. Instead, investors appeared to have a small change of heart. The Dow marched back to the 10,000 milestone and even topped that number in the closing minutes of the session. When the final trades were counted, the index was off 363.35 points, or 3.5... [read full story]