Dow Drops 17 Points

Stocks almost managed to recover from steep losses suffered early in the day but ended in the red. Among the factors: China signaled it's ready to tighten credit, and September home prices rose but less than expected, the Wall Street Journal reports.

• The Dow closed down 17 points at 10,434.
• The Nasdaq fell 7 points to close at 2,169.
• The S&P 500 lost 1 point, settling at 1,106.