Stock Sell-Off Rings Out 2nd Quarter

Markets dip, inflation cools, oil prices soar as Fed plays wait-and-see
By Caroline Zimmerman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 29, 2007 5:07 PM CDT
Stock Sell-Off Rings Out 2nd Quarter
A trader uses a phone post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, June 18, 2007. Wall Street edged lower Monday after three days of solid gains as investors watched Treasury bond yields fluctuate amid lingering questions about inflation. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)   (Associated Press)

Stocks slipped slightly today as the tumultuous second quarter ended in a cloud of uncertainty and contradictory economic reports. The Dow fell 13.66 to close at 13,408.62, up over 1,000 points since April, after an early surge in response to optimistic inflation and construction-spending reports. But oil prices soon topped $70 a barrel, cooling things off.

At the meeting that ended yesterday, the Fed held interest rates steady and expressed optimism about easing inflation—and today's figures, which showed the core rate rising at the lowest annual pace in 3 years, seemed to back that up. Oil prices, reports of terrorist activity in London, and continuing concerns about the subprime crisis then provided a reality check. (More core inflation stories.)

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