Continued pessimism sent blue chips tumbling again Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average capping its worst-ever weekly point loss.

        The 30-stock Dow dropped 207.87, or 2.1 percent, to 9823.41 — down 821.21 from one week ago. The worst-ever point fall was 44th on the average's list of worst weekly percentage declines.

        The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 49.80, or 2.6 percent, to 1890.91, and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 23.03, or 2 percent, to 1150.53.

        Friday's sell-off was triggered by the latest warning from a bellwether tech company. Compaq Computer said late Thursday that its first-quarter results will fall short of Wall Street's expectations and that it will cut 5,000 jobs — about 7 percent of its work force.

        Not even hopes for a big interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve on Tuesday could ease the pain.

        “There's no doubt that the markets have changed, and expectations have to be adjusted,” said Ed Haberer, president and chief executive officer, Haberer Registered Investment Advisors. “But going forward, rates of return are going to be a lot more modest, as well as speculation won't nearly be as rampant as it used to be.”

Bear facts: Week on Wall St. was disaster
Log into our tax chat today
Investment schemes target the vulnerable
Investment advisers take long-term view
Your tax questions
HIGGINS: Consumer confidence hits skids
Savvy Strategies
Child, education tax credits figured in various ways
Data backs rate cut
Last of Donahue sold off
P&G sells license for know-how
Tristate Summary
What's the Buzz?
Now at McD's: You want cauliflower with that?
OPEC plans deeper cuts