‘No good news’ triggers selloff on Wall Street

? Unnerved by a profit warning from Sears, investors sold stocks for a fourth straight session Monday and extended six weeks of selloffs on Wall Street.

Investors also were uneasy in light of a shutdown of the nation’s West Coast ports and the possibility of war with Iraq. Selling accelerated in the final hour of trading, with the Dow Jones industrials dropping more than 100 points, their second straight triple-digit loss.

“There is just no good news to trigger anybody’s enthusiasm to buy stocks,” said Bill Barker, an investment strategy consultant in Dallas.

The Dow closed down 105.56, or 1.4 percent, at 7,422.84, for a four-day loss of 515.95. The Dow is near a five-year low, having not had a weaker finish since Nov. 12, 1997, when it stood at 7,401.30.

The market’s broader gauges also stumbled for a fourth day. The three market indicators have suffered six consecutive weekly declines, largely due to decreased expectations for third-quarter earnings results that companies will release during the next few weeks.