*By Kristen Lee*
U.S. stocks accelerated losses at the end of the day Wednesday, with the Dow dropping 600 points and the Nasdaq on pace for its biggest monthly drop in a decade.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the day down 608 points, the S&P lost more than 3 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost nearly 4.5 percent.
The sell-off was driven in part by a Commerce Department report that home sales plunged 5.5 percent in September, which rattled investors who expected only a slight decline.
Tech stocks especially weighed on markets. Netflix ($NFLX) and chipmaker Nvidia ($NVDA) were both down nearly 10 percent, Facebook ($FB), down nearly 6 percent, and Google parent Alphabet ($GOOGL), down more than 5 percent.
Conditions have been mostly nice for travelers flying ahead of and on Christmas Day, but some naughty disruptions plagued those flying with Southwest Airlines again this year.
Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don't stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays.
Big Business This Week is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
Bristol Myers Squibb agreed to buy schizophrenia drug maker Karuna Therapeutics in a $14 billion deal.
Supermarket chain Ralphs is facing a new lawsuit from the state of California.
Shake Shack is giving out free fried chicken sandwiches, bacon cheese fries and milkshakes nationwide.
The IRS is announcing a voluntary disclosure program.
Lionsgate announced its studio division is going to spin off in a merger with Screaming Eagle Acquisition Corp., which is a special purpose acquisition company.
A new report suggests that it's getting more difficult for an average American to afford a home.
The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers about a copycat version of the diabetes drug Ozempic.
