Tsunami disaster pushes US stocks down

Concerns over the economic impact of the Asian earthquake tsunami disasters pushed stocks lower in the United States today, putting Wall Street’s recent rally on hold despite decent holiday sales figures and falling oil prices.

Analysts were generally pleased with the uplift in sales most retailers reported late last week and in post-holiday shopping. Wal-Mart Stores Inc saw sales rise modestly, while Amazon.com Inc reported record sales during the holiday season.