Stocks retreated more than 2 percent on Wednesday and bond prices rose after two reports suggested the economy is not bouncing back as quickly as investors hoped.
The Commerce Department said retail sales unexpectedly fell in April for the second straight month, while RealtyTrac Inc. reported a troubling rise in home foreclosures.
Investors are mindful that the Dow Jones industrial average spiked 31 percent from its early March lows — the biggest jump in such a short span since the 1930s. After Wednesday's decline the index is still up 26.5 percent from March 9, but investors are now wondering if the market will see a sharper pullback.
Analysts say a drop of 10 percent from the market's recent peak would hardly be surprising, especially since recent economic readings have failed to beat forecasts.
"Overall, it's just a market that's due for a pause, due for a pullback, due for consolidation," said Quincy Krosby, chief investment strategist for The Hartford. "You don't want markets to skyrocket. The higher you go, the deeper you fall."
The Dow fell 184.22, or 2.2 percent, to 8,284.89.
Broader stock indicators sank even more sharply. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 24.43, or 2.7 percent, to 883.92, while the Nasdaq composite index declined 51.73, or 3 percent, to 1,664.19.
On Wednesday, economists predicted April retail sales would be flat, but instead they fell, and March's sales decline was revised to an even larger drop.
More economic data is on the way this week. Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at BNY ConvergEx, said Thursday's weekly unemployment claims report is weighing on the market. The release will be the first to fully incorporate plant closings at Chrysler LLC — making it a "real wild card," he said.
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