Stocks Surrender Gains, Close With Minor Losses

Action in the money markets suggests the international relief effort may be gaining traction against the credit crunch. Bloomberg reported that three-month dollar Libor, a measure of the rate banks charge one another for large loans, declined 12 basis points to 4.64%. The overnight rate lost 29 basis points to 2.18%.

"We don't want to sound too Pollyanna-ish, but it is clear from the events of the past week that the body politic of the developed economies has been shaken to the core and will now do whatever is necessary to maintain the operation of the system. The daily threat of institutional failure has, therefore, now receded greatly," wrote Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, in an email.

Shepherdson also wrote that owners of equities will still suffer as a result of the financial crisis. "The gigantic loss of wealth will reverberate throughout the real economy for years to come, though the biggest hit will come in the near term," he wrote. He said that the consumer still poses a large downside risk for the U.S. economy.

Goldman Sachs was undertaking some of its own maneuvers, seeking a New York state charter for its new banking subsidiary. Goldman, along with Morgan Stanley, became a bank holding company on Sept. 21. Many major commercial banks apply for charters from federal rather than state regulators. Goldman gained 11% to $122.90, and Morgan Stanley jumped 21% to $21.94.

Elsewhere in the financials, Hank Greenberg, former CEO of AIG (AIG Quote), was preparing a proposal to keep the company from being taken over by the government. AIG is rushing to pay back a bridge loan from the government to avoid being seized. AIG shares added 9% to $2.80.