Abreast of the market: Stocks retreat on drop in dollar, unease before Friday's price data
NEW YORK -- Worries about inflation and the continued slide in the value of the dollar sent stocks into a retreat.</br></br>The scheduled release of government data on producer prices Friday and on consumer prices next Tuesday has left investors on edge the past two sessions.</br></br>Those fears were heightened yesterday by another move in the dollar this morning to post-World War II lows. The slide prompted intervention by the Federal Reserve in the foreign exchange markets.</br></br>Both of the issues could spur the Fed to push up short-term interest rates. Low rates have been one of the most important props for the stock market for months.</br></br>The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which lost 13.01 Monday, skidded 21.59, or 0.61%, to 3510.54, ending the day near its session low. Declining issues swamped advancers, 1,334 to 621, on the Big Board and volume totaled 238,090,000 shares, compared with 235,580,000 shares Monday.