Stocks Close Lower But Pare Some Losses

Stocks closed lower, hurt by rising oil prices and fresh worries about the financial sector, though the market ended off its lows for the day.

A profit shortfall by manufacturer Deere added to worries about the health of the U.S. economy. Investors also were troubled by the government's retail sales report and a jump in oil prices.

Oil closed at $115.85 a barrel, up $2.84 from Tuesday's close but below the level of $116.50 or so that traders were watching as key to crude's direction.

Shares of Deere plunged after the farm equipment maker said  quarterly profit rose 7 percent but fourth quarter results would be hurt by raw materials costs.

The results also reflected the widening impact of the U.S. housing slump and and dragged along other big manufacturers, including Caterpillar .

• Are US Stocks A Better Bet Now Than Foreign Shares?

Shares of financial services companies, including banks, also took a beating on fears of more mortgage-related losses.

"People are worried about the impact the credit crunch is going to have on consumers," said Eric Kuby, chief investment officer at NorthStar Investment Management Corp in Chicago. "The retail sales number this morning was another data point suggesting that the economy is weakening and the consumer is pulling back on their purchases."

Retail sales edged down 0.1 percent in July on another big drop in auto sales, capping a 21.6 percent decline over the past 12 months that was the largest in the past 26 years, a Labor Department report showed.

The Nasdaq briefly flirted with positive numbers as Apple continued its iPhone sales-fueled rally. Best Buy , meanwhile, was one of the positives for retail as shares got a boost on news that the store will be the first general retailer to sell the phones.

Retailers Beat Down

But automakers were getting crushed by crude oil's comeback, with shares at General Motors and Ford both down sharply.

Earnings news weighed on markets and amplified concerns over the economy as retailers Liz Claiborne and Macy's both posted reports that left Wall Street dissatisfied.

Liz Claiborne saw its shares tumble after the company reported better-than-expected earnings but lowered its full-year outlook. Macy's missed earnings and said same-store sales fell 2.1 percent, pushing shares lower.

Video: Abby Joseph Cohen talks about where the market is headed now.

Broader damage, however, was prevented by relative strength in technology as chipmaker Nvidia posted a loss that nevertheless beat analyst estimates.

Merck led a minority of gainers on the Dow.

Wall Street was looking to bounce back the day after the Dow lost more than 1 percent on more bleak news from the financial sector. The move lower thwarted a week-long stocks rally that saw the bluechip index gain more than 4 percent.

"All of this volatility is usually the precursor to a large move," Jack Bouroudjian, a principal at Brewer Investments. "When you have a lot of money on the sidelines and there's a lot of tension and a lot of nervousness out there, that's usually indicative of a bottom."

Housing, Banks Continue to Challenge

Problems in housing also will haunt the market, as data released before the bell indicated a drop in mortgage applications as interest rates surge. Ahead of trading, Toll Brothers said its expects third-quarter homebuilding revenue to drop 34 percent but shares gained.

The banking industry also faced more trouble, with Capital One shares falling after Fox-Pitt announced it was beginning coverage of the bank with an "underperform" rating and a price target of $34 per share, compared with the company's $43.16 at the close of Tuesday trading.

The sector was broadly lower with Bank of America continuing to take a beating over credit concerns.

In deal news, CVS Caremark