MoneyWatch: Stock market enters third quarter after its worst first half of a year in over 50 yearsStocks continue to jiggle Wednesday afternoon, wavering between small gains and losses in trading on Wall Street, as worries about inflation, rising interest rates and a potential recession continue to hinder the broader market.
The S&P 500 was up 29 points, or 0.8%, as of 2:43 p.m. Eastern Time. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq were up 0.6%. Technology companies gained ground and helped check losses from energy companies. Chipmaker Nvidia rose 1% and Exxon Mobil fell 2% as crude oil prices eased. Major indexes have been swinging between sharp losses and gains on a daily — and sometimes hourly — basis. The broader market, though, is still mired in a deep slump that has dragged the S&P 500Wall Street's key concern centers around the Federal Reserve's effort to rein in inflation, and the risk its plan could send the economy into a recession.
Inflation has squeezed businesses and consumers throughout the year. Price increases accelerated after