Wall Street’s growing pessimism about the US economy sent stocks down for a second day in a row today, as investors lost the enthusiasm that followed Wednesday’s Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged.

Stocks were mixed today with blue chip and tech shares rising only modestly despite lower oil prices and several mergers and acquisitions, including Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.’s 1.5 billion dollar bid for several candy brands from Kraft Foods Inc.