【英语国际】美国股市8月份交出近十年来最差答卷

Stocks limped to their worst August since 2001, battered by a wave of discouraging data that cast doubt on the faltering economic recovery.

Investors now enter September, a month that has been historically challenging for the stock market, against a backdrop of broad uncertainty, including slow growth and deflation fears.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average battled to a stalemate on Tuesday, rising 4.99 points, or 0.05%, to finish at 10014.72. The blue-chip index's 4.3% drop for the month was the worst since a dismal May, and the measure's first down August in five years. The Dow had rallied 7.1% in July.

August is typically a positive month for stocks, whereas September declines tend to come as companies begin issuing warnings ahead of third-quarter results and mutual-fund managers get back to work after the light volume in the summer.

The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index fell 4.7% for August, while the Nasdaq shed 6.2%. Small-capitalization stocks, a leading indicator of the economy, took an even bigger hit. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks posted its worst August in 12 years, falling 7.5%.

Other barometers of economic activity are flashing warning signals, too. Technology stocks were the weakest performers on Tuesday, taking a hit after technology-research firm Gartner cut estimates for computer sales, reinforcing growing concern about the outlook for the sector.

Intel and Cisco Systems were big decliners, and joined Hewlett-Packard as the month's worst performers among Dow components, each falling 13% or more in August. The Philadelphia Stock Exchange's Semiconductor Index fell 11.8% during the month. 'The average retail investor is definitely fearful right now,' said Paul Brigandi, senior vice president of trading at Direxion Funds.

Crude-oil prices also fell, dropping 3.7% to bring the month's fall to 8.9%. Gold edged closer to all-time highs, capping a 5.6% gain for the month.

刚结束的8月份是美国股市2001年以来表现最糟的8月，一连串令人沮丧的经济数据使脆弱的经济复苏疑云笼罩，也打压了股市。

现在，投资者进入到9月这个从历史上看股市面临重重挑战的月份，他们面对的是大量不确定性，包括缓慢的增长和通缩忧虑。

道琼斯指数周二基本持平，涨4.99点，收于10014.72点，涨幅0.05%。道指8月份4.3%的跌幅是自疲软的5月份以来最为糟糕的表现，也是五年来首个下跌的8月。道指7月份大幅上涨了7.1%。

8月份对股市来说通常是个好月份，而9月份则不同，因为随着公司在第三季度业绩公布前开始发布警告，以及共同基金经理在交投清淡的夏季结束后重新开始工作，跌势往往会在9月份随之而来。

标普500指数8月份下跌了4.7%，纳斯达克指数的跌幅达6.2%。而作为经济领先指标的小型股跌幅则更大。涵盖小型股的罗素2000指数8月份下跌7.5%，为12年来表现最差的8月。

经济活动的其他指标也在发出警示信号。科技股是周二表现最疲软的板块，受到了科技行业研究公司Gartner下调电脑销售预期的拖累，此次下调令人们对该行业前景的担忧更甚。

英特尔(Intel)和思科(Cisco)领跌，它们与惠普(Hewlett-Packard)同为8月份表现最差的道指成份股，当月各自都下跌了13%甚至更多。费城证交所的半导体分类指数8月份下跌了11.8%。Direxion Funds交易业务高级副总裁布里甘迪(Paul Brigandi)说，普通的散户投资者现在肯定害怕了。

原油价格也在下跌，3.7%的跌幅使8月份的累计跌幅达到8.9%。金价朝着历史新高又迈进了一步，当月涨幅为5.6%。