OUTLOOK

U.S. Stocks Waver

As Asian markets plummet.

Wall Street fell slightly after opening bell on Friday, but by midday it had leveled off despite a volatile trading session. The session follows Thursday's Dow plunge and Friday's declines in global markets, with major Asian exchanges dropping between 2 and 3 percent and the Frankfurt Dax closing down 2 percent. The economic downturn is raising concerns that the heavily indebted governments of Italy and Spain may soon seek bailouts, as did Greece, Portugal, and Ireland. The fear is that banks will become less willing to loan money to businesses and consumers, resulting in a credit crunch that will further hurt the struggling economy.