US stocks set for a comeback, or another blow?

New York

THE deep selling that has been synonymous with Wall Street in the New Year became bad enough on Wednesday to start drawing in buyers, but it is still too soon to tell whether they will look brilliant or battered in the weeks ahead.

The steep declines on Wednesday morning sent mixed signals regarding a market bottom. Several technical indicators - the number of stocks hitting new lows, for example - pointed to a market recovery coming soon.