Stocks Post Worst January Since 2009, Iowa Kicks off Voting

Good riddance January. Stocks had the worst start to a year since 2009. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down in January by 5.5% and the NASDAQ lost almost 8%, since technology and biotechnology stocks were hardest hit. Meanwhile, there is more bad news out of China. Factory activity fell for the 6th straight month. The Iowa caucuses kick off today as voters gather around the state. Polls in both the republican and democratic side show close contests. The CDC could declare an end to the Chipotle (CMG) E.coli outbreak as soon as today. The Wall Street Journal says investigators have not been able to pinpoint the ingredient responsible for the contamination. Chipotle's sales and stock price have been slipping since news of the outbreak began surfacing in the Pacific Northwest in late October.