Stocks fall sharply amid renewed inflation fears

NEW YORK — The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 1,100 points and the S&P 500 had its biggest drop in nearly two years Wednesday, as big earnings misses by Target and other major retailers stoked investors’ fears that surging inflation could cut deeply into corporate profits.

The broad sell-off erased gains from a solid rally a day earlier, the latest volatile day-to-day swing for stocks in recent weeks.

The S&P 500 tumbled 4 percent, its sharpest decline since June 2020. The benchmark index is now down more than 18 percent from the record high it reached at the beginning of the year. That’s shy of the 20 percent decline that’s considered a bear market.

The Dow dropped 3.6 percent, while the Nasdaq fell 4.7 percent. The three indexes are on pace to extend a string of at least six weekly losses.

“A lot of people are trying to guess the bottom,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.

The S&P 500 fell 165.17 points to 3,923.68, while the Dow slid 1,164.52 points to 31,490.07. The Nasdaq slid 566.37 points to 11,418.15.