The Dow plunges 750 points as higher oil prices keep inflation fears alive

Wall Street spent Thursday checking the gas gauge — because that’s where the market’s mood is being checked. After Wednesday’s relief rally, stocks slipped again as crude oil climbed again on the war in the Middle East, and the market re-centered itself around the oldest equation in finance: energy up, everything else suddenly feels heavier. The S&P 500 was down about 0.74%, the Dow was off roughly 784 points (about 1.6%), and the Nasdaq was down about 0.3% around 11:45 a.m. ET. Volatility perked up, too ...