Part 2/9:
The stock market is currently grappling with an unprecedented downturn, propelled by alarming events on Wall Street, which saw a staggering loss of over $5.4 trillion in market valuation in just a couple of sessions. As we begin the trading week, U.S. stock futures are in a freefall; the Dow futures are down 1,250 points (3.3%), the S&P 500 is off 6%, and the Nasdaq has tumbled 5.8%—a worrying 22% drop since December. The S&P 500 is teetering on the edge of a bear market, a term used when a stock decline exceeds 20% from its most recent peak, raising fears of an impending economic recession.