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Stock Watch: Markets in Positive Territory, but Nervousness Remains

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BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Investors both big and small seem to be breathing sort of a sigh of relief today. Stock prices throughout the morning spent most of that time in positive territory.

For the very latest now let's check into the New York Stock Exchange and Rhonda Schaffler.

Rhonda, what gives now that we've come into the afternoon hours?

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well you know, Bill, there is some relief because many people fear that after Friday's rout the market would sell-off throughout the morning and it did not. In fact. the indices, both the Dow and Nasdaq, trying to hold on to positive territory. That doesn't mean, however, that people aren't still nervous.

The Dow right now is up just 26 points. So obviously, there wasn't a huge rush to buy and, in fact, the Dow had been up with more than 100-point gains earlier, led primarily by technology stocks, and they've given back.

The short answer is: Most people are saying that the final hour of trading is going to be very decisive here. There is a lot of nervousness and anticipation ahead of that hour.

Also, in the broader market, that is, when you look beyond the Dow and the Nasdaq and just every individual stock, there's a lot more that are heading lower right now. On the Big Board there are five stocks declining for every one rising. So the sentiment is not overwhelmingly positive. But there is some relief that the worst did not occur and that was a massive sell-off continuing what happened Friday -- Bill.

HEMMER: Rhonda Schaffler, in New York, thanks.

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