Wall Street’s recent passion for high-dividend stocks is fading.

The Nasdaq composite index briefly touched 3,000 today for the first time since the collapse in dot-com stocks more than a decade ago. Stocks ended lower, but it was still the best February on Wall Street in 14 years.

Serious doubts about the health of the job market and the pace of the US economic recovery put markets on edge last night.

Wall Street began the third quarter with an erratic session today as a mix of news made it clear the country is still deep in economic problems but may have some positive trends – including some better than expected June sales for General Motors.

US stocks plunged today as a broker’s downgrade of Dell and higher oil prices aggravated Wall Street’s worries about a shaky start to second-quarter earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average sank more than 121 points.

Stocks drifted to a mixed finish in the United States today as Wall Street worried about the impact of high oil prices on the nation’s trade deficit and Intel Corp’s bullish sales forecast prompted some profit-taking.

Wall Street celebrated President George Bush’s re-election with a solid rally today, surging higher as investors welcomed continuity in Washington and shrugged off higher oil prices.

Investors struggled past concerns over a potential terror strike on New York targets, including Wall Street, today, sending stocks modestly higher.