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 WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Reserve slashed a key interest rate by three-quarters of a point Tuesday, capping its most aggressive two months of action in a quarter-century in a battle to halt a spreading credit crisis. Wall Street loved it, bursting to its biggest gain in five years.
The strong Fed action seemed to convince investors, at least for now, that the central bank will do whatever it can to keep the country out of a steep recession. The Dow Jones industrial average finished the day up 420.41 points at 12,392.66.
The latest Fed move brought the federal funds rate — the interest that banks charge each other — down to 2.25 percent, the lowest since late 2004.
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