Dow falls 300 points in final session of 2022 as stocks tumble to end year

Stocks fell on Friday as investors made their final trades in the market’s worst year since 2008.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 308 points, or 0.9 percent. The S&P 500 fell 1 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.1 percent.

Friday marks the last day of trading in what has been a painful year for stocks. All three major averages are marching toward their worst year since 2008, which is projected to snap a three-year winning streak. The Dow fared the best of the indexes in 2022, down 9.4%, while the S&P and tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 20% and nearly 34%, respectively.

Sticky inflation and aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve hit growth and technology stocks and weighed on investor sentiment throughout the year. Geopolitical concerns and volatile economic data also kept markets on edge.

“We’ve had everything from the Covid problems in China to the invasion of Ukraine. They’ve all been very serious. But for investors, that’s what the Fed does,” Art Cashin, director of floor operations for UBS, said on “The Exchange.”

As the calendar year turns, some investors believe the pain is far from over, expecting the bear market to persist until a recession hits or the Fed vacillates. Some also expect shares to reach new lows before picking up again in the second half of 2023.

“I’d like to tell you that it’s going to be like the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and everything is going to be brilliant in a moment or two. I think we could have a bumpy first quarter, and depending on the Fed it could last a little longer than that,” Cashin said.

Despite the annual losses, the Dow and S&P 500 are about to snap three-quarter losing streaks. However, the technology-heavy Nasdaq is on course for its fourth consecutive negative quarter for the first time since 2001. However, all three averages are negative for December.

Communications services stocks in the S&P 500 are down more than 40% on the year, and consumer discretionary has fallen 37.4%, while energy, the large-cap index’s only positive sector, is up nearly 58%.

— Gabriel Cortes contributed reporting

Correction: A chart in this story has been updated to reflect the correct year-to-date decline for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.