Wednesday

Investors backed away from risky bets today, unloading stocks and commodities in favor of the dollar, which got a boost versus the euro and other rivals after Fitch Ratings downgraded Portugal's credit. Currency markets were even more volatile than stocks after Fitch lowered Portugal's sovereign credit rating and warned of another downgrade unless the government changes its fiscal course. The Dow Jones Industrial Average snapped a two-day winning streak today. Also, the S&P saw declines in every sector except the financial category, which crept up .2%. New U.S. economic data missed expectations. Durable-goods orders rose in February, but not as much as expected, while new-home sales fell 2.2%. DJIA -52.68 Nasdaq -16.48 S&P 500 -6.45.