Wall Street sinks on recession and credit fears

By Kristina Cooke

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks slid for a fourth straight day on Monday, leaving the Dow below 10,000 for the first time in four years, on fears the global economy was hurtling into recession despite government efforts to contain the fast-spreading financial crisis.

The steep declines came in the first full session since the U.S. Congress approved a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, as lending came to a virtual halt and investors shifted their focus to the crumbling outlook for the economy and profits.

But the market cut almost half its losses in the final hour of the session, as traders speculated the sell-off may trigger a coordinated global response to thaw credit markets. The S&P financial sector sub-index, which had earlier been down more than 8 percent, closed down 4.2 percent.

The energy sector skidded as the price of oil dropped to an 8-month low below $88 a barrel on expectations that a recession will further hamper global fuel demand.

Wall Street's drop was part of a breakneck global sell-off, which led to temporary trading halts in Russia, Brazil and Peru. The emergency rescue of two big European banks and a move by several European governments to guarantee bank deposits intensified fears that the credit crisis can not be contained.

"We're clearly in the panic zone now. We've tipped over from bear market to panic," said John Schloegel, vice president of investment strategies for Capital Cities Asset Management in Austin, Texas.

"We're past the bailout now and focussed back on fundamentals again and the fundamentals don't look good. People are starting to come to grips with third-, fourth- quarter earnings. If the supertanker of the U.S. economy is at a complete standstill, which it might be, that has not been adequately discounted yet," he said.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 369.88 points, or 3.58 percent, to 9,955.50. It was the first time the Dow closed below 10,000 since October 2004.