Palo Alto Climbs, Intuit Sinks as Default Fears Send Stocks Lower
Stock market investors have generally had confidence that Washington politicians would manage to avoid sending the U.S. into default on its debt. The Nasdaq Composite was the worst performer with declines of more than half a percent, adding to losses late Tuesday. Earnings season reached its peak a couple of weeks ago, but results continue to come out from various corners of the market.