Wall Street has ended another highly volatile session with a big last-minute loss as the market’s stubborn worries about a protracted downturn in the economy and tight credit markets erased the bulk of the financial sector’s gains.

US stocks finished moderately higher in an uneven session today as optimism about the economy helped investors overcome some of their uneasiness about the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates.

New fears of terrorism sent stock markets tumbling around the world today and extended Wall Street’s sell-off into a second week.

Wall Street snapped a five-day losing streak today, sending stocks modestly higher after positive earnings from companies such as Texas Instruments enticed investors to pick up bargains.