Wednesday

Stocks plunged today after a slew of downbeat reports prompted fears the economic recovery was running out of steam. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost nearly 280 points, its biggest point drop since June of 2010. The S&P 500 fell 2.3%, dragged down by the financial and material sectors. The trading session began on a negative note after several economic data points weighed on sentiment. Concerns about unemployment arose after a reading on private-sector job growth came in well below economists' expectations, fueling anxiety on Wall Street about the government's monthly jobs report on Friday. DJIA -279.65 Nasdaq -66.11 S&P 500 -30.65.