Wall Street plunged in another erratic session today as investors worried that the slumping US economy may not only cripple mortgage lenders like Countrywide Financial, but also create problems for other companies like AT&T. The Dow Jones industrials fell nearly 240 points.

Wall Street ratcheted its way through a fractious session today before finally closing lower on expectations of further fallout from the ongoing credit crisis.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares lost 3.69% (308.82 points) in value today, sharing dramatic falls with most world markets after jitters in the US affected trading worldwide.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares and London's FTSE 100 Index were mired in the red today as more bad news from the United States kept up the pressure on world markets.

Wall Street pulled back sharply today as investors dealt with disappointing earnings reports and renewed concerns about the mortgage lending market.