Wall St falls sharply

WALL Street stocks slid again yesterday as bonds fell amid growing worries about US inflation and a potential interest rate rise by the Reserve.

Although recent reports have shown that inflation remains under control a series of robust economic figures have fanned worries that inflationary pressures such as rising production costs might flare up, forcing retail prices higher.

Declines outnumbered advances by a 7 to 4 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 917 up, 1,620 down and 804 unchanged.

NYSE volume totalled 464.68 million shares, against 566.31 million in the previous session.

The Standard and Poor's 500 stock list fell 10.60 to 795.08, and the NYSE's composite index fell 4.25 to, 417.89.

The Nasdaq composite index fell 27.82 to 1,312.73, and the American Stock Exchange composite index fell 2.14 to 595.17.