NEW YORK - Investors agonizing over a faltering economy sent the stock market plunging all over again Wednesday after two disheartening reports convinced Wall Street that a recession, if not already here, is inevitable. The market's despair — fed by a stream of disheartening economic data — propelled the Dow Jones industrials down 733 points, or 7.8 percent, to their second-largest point loss ever. The other major indexes all lost at least 7 percent.
The slide meant that the Dow, which lost 76 points on Tuesday, has given back all but 126 points of its record 936-point gain of Monday, which came on optimism about the banking system in response to the government's plans to invest up to $250 billion in financial institutions.
Wednesday's selloff began after the government's report that retail sales plunged in September by 1.2 percent — almost double the 0.7 percent drop analysts expected — made it clear that consumers are reluctant to spend amid a shaky economy and a punishing stock market.
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