Wall St ends with moderate loss

CNBC's Margaret Brennan - Stocks lacked confidence on Wednesday with the Dow down for the fourth straight day but lower by just 12 and the Nasdaq gained more than 22 points.

It was Disney, American Express and Intel that were the three biggest blue chip gainers. But shares of the nations two largest bond insurers tumbled after Moody’s investors announced it will likely cut the insurance ratings of MBIA and Ambac because of those firm's credit profiles. Shares of MBIA were down 16% Ambac down 17% on that news.

Lehman Brothers snapped its three-day losing streak after Merrill Lynch told its clients to buy that stock. Lehman shares hit a five-year low during yesterday’s trading session on rumours of liquidity forms, which later denied. Lehman and Goldman Sachs ended Wednesday’s session as the only two financial stocks in the green.

Crude oil set-up below USD 123/bbl today after this week’s inventory report showed a big drop off in demand for gasoline. Its pump prices approached USD 4-a-gallon nationwide. 

Wall Street action:
Dow down by 12 pts, Nasdaq gains 22 pts
Disney, American Express and Intel are major gainers
MBIA and Ambac's shares tumble after Moody's announced that it may downgrade these major bond insurers
Lehman gains after Merrill Lynch tells its clients to buy the stock
Crude trading below $123/bbl