Stocks melted down Monday as the Nasdaq composite index sank below 2000 ! into its worst bear market ever ! and the Dow Jones industrial average suffered a staggering 436-point decline. Tech stocks led the crash, but more than $554 billion in shareholder wealth was wiped from the entire stock market Monday, says market researcher Wilshire Associates. The sinking Nasdaq fueled the selling. It shed 129 points to close at 1923 ! the first close below 2000 since Dec. 14, 1998, and the lowest close since Nov. 19, 1998. More than 320 Nasdaq stocks hit new lows.
Stocks melted down Monday as the Nasdaq composite index sank below 2000 ! into its worst bear market ever ! and the Dow Jones industrial average suffered a staggering 436-point decline.