NOT OVER YET

Investor Fears Mean More Wild Markets

Stocks closed up, but more terror on the way.

Are you ready for next week? The investor fears that drove the market’s roller-coaster week still remain, and investors say more wild times are ahead, even though the market closed Friday not far from where it started the week. While investors were relieved that the Standard & Poor’s downgrade didn’t cause a complete meltdown, a financial crisis in the U.S. and Europe could still be around the corner. New data showed consumer sentiment had fallen below levels seen during the financial crisis three years ago, sparking fears that the U.S. could slip back into a recession. Investor confidence is being undermined by the fact that all the Western markets seem to be moving in lock-step—meaning the disruptions are occurring simultaneously, and there are few safe havens for investors.