Stocks plunge on drop in manufacturing activity

NEW YORK (A) — A surprise drop in a key regional economic indicator sent stocks reeling Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrials tumbling more than 100 points.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index fell to 46.1 in September rather than rising to the 52 that economists expected. The index, considered a precursor to the national Institute for Supply Management index to be released on Thursday, pointed to a Midwestern manufacturing sector than is weaker than had been expected.

The news on the last day of the third quarter punctured a mild stock rally that followed an upward revision in the Commerce Department’s reading for the second-quarter gross domestic product. The government said the GDP, the broadest measure of the economy, sank at a pace of just 0.7 percent in the spring. The new reading was better than the annualized 1.1 percent drop that economists were predicting.

But the Chicago PMI data is fresher, and therefore more troubling, than the GDP. And it reminded investors that the economy still has major obstacles to be overcome before a solid recovery can occur.

In the first hour of trading, the Dow fell 110.18, or 1.1 percent, to 9,632.02. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index dropped 12.32, or 1.2 percent, to 1,048.29. The Nasdaq composite index skidded 23.36, or 1.1 percent, to 2,100.68.

The purchasing managers index, compiled from a survey of executives in the Chicago area, added to the market’s anxiety ahead of Friday’s September employment report from the Labor Department.

A report Wednesday on employment showed some modest improvement in the labor market. The ADP National Employment Report found that private sector employment fell by 254,000 in September following a revised loss of 277,000 jobs in August. It was the fewest jobs lost since July 2008.

The market is waiting to see if there will be a significant decline in the number of jobs cut nationwide during September. Investors also are concerned about the unemployment rate. Economists predict the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent in September from 9.7 percent a month earlier.

The market could have trouble continuing its advance if economic reports don’t boost optimism.

Even with Wednesday’s plunge, the stock market has had a robust third quarter as investors have been betting on an economic recovery. However, as the Chicago PMI showed, there are still many vulnerable spots in the economy that can stall the rally that began in March.

Through Tuesday, the benchmark S&P 500 index gained 56.8 percent since hitting a 12-year low in March, and for the quarter, the S&P 500 and Dow were both up more than 15 percent.

Meanwhile, bond prices were little changed Wednesday but recovered from earlier losses following the Chicago PMI report. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was unchanged at 3.29 percent.

The dollar mostly fell against other major currencies, while gold prices rose.

Overseas, Japan’s Nikkei stock average rose 0.3 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 1.2 percent and France’s CAC-40 was down 0.8 percent.