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What's Spooking Investors in the Stock Market Today

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

The stock market today is down more than 200 points as China fears trigger a global sell off.

In mid-morning trading, the Dow dived 205.75, 1.39%, to 14,593.65. The S&P 500 slumped 25.78, 1.62%, to 1,566.65. The Nasdaq slid 50.78, 1.51%, to 3,306.47. The Dow and S&P are now off some 5% and 6% respectively from their all-time highs reached earlier this year.

Asian markets were clobbered Monday and European markets melted on increasing fears of a liquidity crunch in China. Major Euro indexes, off roughly 10% from their April highs, are officially in bear territory.

Today's moves continue the rollercoaster ride U.S. equities were on last week, with the Dow shedding 560 points, or 3.66%, over Wednesday and Thursday.

The blue-chip benchmark finished at 14,799.40, down 1.8% for the week, its worst week since April 19. The S&P 500 fared worse, slumping 2.1% last week to end at 1,592.43. The Nasdaq ended at 3,357.25, for a weekly loss of 1.9%.

The VIX, or the CBOE Volatility Index, soared 10.2% last week, ending at 19. Wall Street's "fear gauge" has risen four of the past five weeks, ever since Fed Chief Ben Bernanke's first mumblings about a probable winding down of stimulus.

Monday morning, the VIX jumped 2.14, or 11.23%, to 21.04, its highest level of the year.

Markets were goosed Friday after The Wall Street Journal's Fed watcher Jon Hilsenrath wrote that investors may be misreading optimistic messages sent by the Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke as hawkish.

Also, Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) analysts said their top recommendation for 2013 is still to buy stocks and sell bonds.

"We continue to expect the index [S&P] will close the year at 1,750, a rise of approximately 10% from today's top level. However, median historical drawdown episodes suggest at some point during the next six-months that the S&P may decline to mid-1,500s before resounding to our year-end target," Goldman's analysts wrote.

Further giving stocks a lift was a bullish statement to CNBC from renowned hedge fund manager David Tepper, founder of Appaloosa Management: "All the concerns in the markets is because the Fed sees the economy stronger in the future. In fact, their forecast shows that they will wait until a lower unemployment rate (closer to 6% than 6.5) to raise interest rates. So they are a bit easier on the front...I obviously thought they should start to taper. [But] the bottom line when the dust settles [is that the] only one place to be [is] stocks."

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Stock Market Today: QE3 Sugar High Boosts These Stocks

By , Money Morning -

The major headlines in the stock market today include the markets' reaction to QE3, consumer prices rising, and shaky retail sales.

  • The QE3 rally climbs higher - After the Federal Reserve announced its latest stimulus measure, QE Forever, as some are calling it, the markets soared, all reaching multi-year highs. Commodities and financials in particular did well. Oil is approaching $100 a barrel, gold is nearing $1,800/oz., Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) has gained over 10% this week and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NSYE: JPM) has now made up all its losses since the "London Whale Trade." The dollar as expected took a beating, falling to its lowest level since May, and the euro is now over $1.31. Yet, the question is whether QE3 will be a short-term or long-term rally. "It was a strong signal from the Fed and a very welcome move but we'll have to wait and see if this is more than a one or two-day wonder for the market," Mike Lenhoff, chief strategist at Brewin Dolphin Securities Ltd. in London told Bloomberg News. "All of this central-bank policy removes a degree of uncertainty that has been plaguing markets."
  • Retail sales rise but outlook grim - The Commerce Department reported that retail sales increased 0.9% in August from a month earlier following a 0.6% gain in July. This was spurred by better auto and gasoline sales, but outside of those categories there was little good news. Excluding those two items, retail sales inched up 0.1% with weak electronic, clothing, and appliance sales. Core retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gasoline, or building materials fell 0.1% and is more closely related to consumer spending within the U.S gross domestic product calculation.

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