Stocks on Wall Street Fight to Shake Negativity

An early rally on the news of government assistance quickly gave rise to profit-taking, however, as investors remained skittish about the financial crisis' continued impact on the economy.

"Volatility is the norm here and not the exception," said Art Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies, of the market's reaction to the new government programs. Hogan said the announcement of the new TARP initiatives were already telegraphed to the market and the previous two-day rally had been in part a reaction to additional intervention. "We may have celebrated this news already," he said.

Bill Stone, chief investment strategist for PNC Wealth Management, said that aid for asset-backed commercial paper is a continuation of recent efforts to unfreeze credit markets. By facilitating the securitization of asset-backed bonds, the government is encouraging additional lending for consumer purchases, he said. When lending is too tight, said Stone, "Even if the deals are good, it doesn't make any difference. Not many of us can pay in cash."

Stone said that the Fed's intervention is bullish for the markets, as it helps stocks price in a time frame for the length of a recession. "The longer the credit crunch goes on, the longer we have to assume the recession goes on," he said.

Hogan of Jefferies said that the government has made a good public-relations move by shifting its focus to the needs of the consumer. Intervention in the mortgage-backed securities market, credit cards, and student loans are all directed at the Main Street as opposed to Wall Street, he said.