The Dow fell 203.18, or 2.42 percent, to 8,175.77 after earlier rising by as many as 220 points. Even before the late-day selloff, it was an incredibly volatile day for Wall Street, the Dow crossed between positive and negative territory 60 times during the session.
Broader stock indicators showed even more sizable losses. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 27.85, or 3.18 percent, to 848.92, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 46.13, or 2.97 percent, to 1,505.90.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 22.72, or 4.82 percent, to 448.40.
The waffling in the market came amid light trading volumes ahead of possible interest rate moves from central banks, including the Federal Reserve, which is set to begin a two-day meeting Tuesday. The Fed is expected to lower its fed funds rate by a half-point to 1 percent on Wednesday. Investors are also optimistic that the European Central Bank is moving toward its own cut after President Jean-Claude Trichet said yesterday such a step was "a possibility."
But while policymakers around the world have been trying to find a remedy for the fear of bad debt that has paralyzed parts of the credit markets in the past month, lending conditions have eased only slightly. Investors are worried that a drop-off in lending has damaged the economy.
The US government is taking some of its first steps to steady the banking sector. The Treasury said it signed agreements with nine banks and will buy stock in the companies this week. The proceeds from the stock sales are intended to bolster the banks' balance sheets so they will begin more normal lending.
"Clearly, what's most important is that the funding crisis needs to be contained at this point," said Chris Orndorff, director of equity strategy at Payden & Rygel in Los Angeles. "The banks need to start taking on some more risks," he said. "I think it's going to take months."
Declining issues outnumbered advancers by about 4 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 1.34 billion shares.
The gyrations in US stocks have been sizable since the market's peak a year ago, but particularly since last month's bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc and the government rescue of insurer American International Group. With investors uncertain about the economy, the market appears to be bouncing along a rocky bottom after falling sharply earlier this month.
News that sales of new homes increased in September was a welcome surprise. While median home prices have dropped to the lowest level in four years, investors appeared pleased, at least initially, that the market was beginning to chip away at an inventory glut. The Commerce Department reported that sales of new single-family homes rose by 2.7 percent in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 464,000 homes. Economists had expected sales would drop from August.
But home prices, a big factor causing banks to tighten their lending standards, are still falling. The median price of a new home declined by 9.1 percent from a year ago to US$218,400, its lowest level since September 2004.
While most large banks ended the session lower, a few regional banks still finished higher after the Treasury began rolling out its investments. Fifth Third Bancorp rose 40 cents, or 5 percent, to US$8.47, First Horizon rose 94 cents, or 10.9 percent, to US$9.58.
The biggest gainer in the Dow was Verizon, which rose US$2.53, or 10.1 percent, to US$27.61, after it reported that its third-quarter earnings rose 31 percent. Its wireless business revealed stronger-than-expected results.
Even with several pieces of welcome news, investors around the world remain worried about the prospects for economic expansion. A surge in the yen illustrated investors' nervousness about how much economic activity could slow. The yen is seen as a safe haven holding for investors who contend the Japanese economy will fare better in a global recession.
Greg Church, chief investment officer of Church Capital Management in Yardley, Pennsylvania, contends the markets likely will remain volatile as hedge funds and mutual funds step into the market to sell. He also expects that some skittish investors will look to sell their positions as rallies emerge but that the severity of the market's recent sell-off has left it overdue for a rally, even if it's only temporary.
"We probably are due for some type of a bounce. Bear market rallies can be beautiful things. I think we could get one of those things sooner than later," he said.
Investors uneasy about where the market is headed continued to propel demand for the safety of government debt. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.69 percent from 3.72 percent late Friday. The dollar was higher against most other major currencies, except the yen, while gold prices rose.
The yield on the three-month bill, regarded as the safest asset around, fell to 0.77 percent from 0.82 percent late Thursday.
A key bank-to-bank lending rate slipped Monday. The London Interbank Offered Rate, or Libor, on three-month loans in dollars dipped to 3.51 percent from 3.52 percent on Friday. While Libor has fallen steadily for over 10 days as confidence slowly returns to the banking system, investors remain skittish, particularly overseas.