U.S. consumer confidence plunges on financial crisis

Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:01:42 -0400

U.S. consumer confidence plunges on financial crisis

Wounded by the financial crisis, U.S. consumer confidence plunges in
October, reaching an all-time low in the series' 41-year existence,
the Conference Board reports.

VW SHORTS SCRAMBLE FOR EXITS AS MARKET CAP SWELLS

Short sellers of Volkswagen scramble for the exits, briefly making the
European auto maker the world's largest company by market
capitalization and raising worries about the banks that sold Porsche
Automobil Holding the options to build its stake in the Beetle maker.

OUTSIDE THE BOX: HAVE INVESTORS PANICKED AND CAPITULATED?

Is it time to buy stock? Ever since mid-September, we have read that
the bottom is in because investors have "panicked" and "capitulated."
But market history. does not support this widespread view.