US stocks fall sharply, bond prices soar

NEW YORK: Wall Street plunged while bonds surged higher on Friday after the government reported payrolls in August fell for the first time in four years rather than rising as had been expected.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 250 points. Investors were taken aback by the Labor Department's report that payrolls dropped by 4,000 in August, the first decline since August 2003. Economists had forecast payrolls would increase by 110,000.

However, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.6 percent as expected. Wall Street had been awaiting the report all week as it sought to determine how well the economy was holding up under the weight of a faltering housing market, a rise in mortgage defaults and tightening availability of credit. While the report is backward looking, investors regard it as an important proxy of the economy's overall health.

``This certainly cements the case for a Fed action at the next meeting. The debate has really become about whether it will be 25 or 50 basis points,'' said Zach Pandl, economist at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., referring to whether the central bank would reduce rates by a quarter point or a half percentage point. He expects the Fed will reduce rates by 25 basis points to 5 percent when it meets Sep 18.

The Dow fell 249.97, or 1.87 percent, to 13,113.38. Broader stock indicators also skidded. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 25.00, or 1.69 percent, to 1,453.55, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 48.62, or 1.86 percent, to 2,565.70. The three major indexes, though still in positive territory for the year, all finished the week down more than 1 per cent.

Bonds, meanwhile, soared following the jobs report as investors sought safety. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, skidded to 4.37 percent from 4.51 per cent late Thursday.

The dollar fell sharply following the report, as the likelihood of an interest rate cut appeared to increase. Dollar-based assets would earn less interest if the Fed were to cut rates. In addition, gold prices rose sharply because some investors would be expected to abandon a weakening dollar and move into gold if the central bank
lowers rates.

``This is just the expected response,'' said Pandl, referring to Wall Street's reaction to the jobs report. ``The markets are repricing for lower growth and expectations of Fed cuts.'' While the employment report clearly unnerved an already jittery Wall Street, some investors had been looking for a weak showing, arguing that a drop in employment could offer adequate reason for the Federal Reserve to lower short-term interest rates. But the employment report appeared to signal too much weakness even for those pulling for a rate cut.

Making matters worse, the Labor Department revised the jobs figures for June and July, saying the economy added fewer jobs than had been reported. The central bank has left its fed funds rate unchanged for more than a year as it has sought to hold down inflation. But recent upheavals in financial markets have stirred concerns of a slowing economy and led some investors to expect a rate cut.