Stocks dive as investors remember recession's not over

Investors seemed to remember that the world economy is in the throes of a deep recession today, as commodities fell, the dollar and U.S. Treasury bonds rose and the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 187 points, or 2.1 percent, to close at 8,612. American Express (AXP) and Microsoft (MSFT) were the sole gainers among the DJIA's 30 component stocks.

Particularly hard hit were Alcoa (AA), which lost 6.5 percent and Du Pont (DD), which fell 4.5 percent. Rival pharmaceutical makers Merck (MRK) and Pfizer (PFE) each declined 4.3 percent.

For more stocks making moves today, be sure to check out BloggingStocks' market wrap-up.