Stocks Sharply Lower Heading Into Weekend (at CNBC)

WALL STREET, STOCKS, DOW JONES, NASDAQ, S&P, BANKS, GENERAL ELECTRIC, EARNINGS, MORGAN STANLEY, GOLDMAN SACHS, CAPITULATION, LIQUIDATION, JIM ROGERS Selling turned more aggressive as the stock market headed into the final two hours of trading, with Wall Street seemingly helpless to stop an eight-day avalanche. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has tumbled more than 20 percent this week alone in its record slide. Surprisingly strong back stocks had been holding forth against a harder move lower, but they began to give way as traders shed positions ahead of a holiday weekend. The selling seemed to reflect a lack of confidence in the government's attempts to shore up bank balance sheets and to provide liquidity into the market. "All of the workings of the government to not let the credit crisis run its course, the abrogation of... [read full story]