NEW YORK -- Blue-chip stocks tumbled today in volatile trading as the stock market's renewed profit jitters were compounded by worries about Monica Lewinsky's deal to testify about her relationship with President Clinton. Dow off 93.46
The Dow Jones industrial average sank 93.46 points to close at 8,934.78, but recovered from a 211-point plunge that put the measure nearly 500 points below its record of 9,337.97, set less than two weeks ago on July 17.
Broader stock indicators also slid sharply after midday in a barrage of selling that hit just as news broke that Lewinsky, a former White House intern, had been given immunity in exchange for testimony in Kenneth Starr's investigation of her relationship with the president.
The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 17.03 to 1,130.24, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 36.73 to 1,8096.53.
Decliners outnumbered advancers by a 13-to-5 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 843 up, 2,183 down and 515 unchanged.
NYSE volume totaled 698.85 million shares vs. 618.34 million yesterday.
The NYSE composite index fell 7.94 to 569.49, and the American Stock Exchange composite index fell 7.48 to 706.69.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 5.62 to 427.54.
The benchmark 30-year Treasury bond fell 50 cents, or $5 per $1,000 bond, to yield 5.74 percent, up 3 basis points. The dollar fell to 141.17 yen in late New York trading from 142.48 yesterday.
Today's sell-off quickly negated any comfort derived from yesterday's big rebound, which saw the Dow rise 90 points after bouncing back from an early 80-point deficit.