quote:

Markets were also rattled by an extraordinary sale of U.S. Treasury bills, widely viewed as the world's safest securities. Investors were so fearful of everything from deflation to the precarious condition of the banking system that they sacrificed all expected return just to hand over cash to the U.S. Treasury for safekeeping, producing an unprecedented zero percent rate.

"There's still a ton of fear. People are now paying the government to take their money. Something is wrong," said Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading at Themis Trading in Chatham, New Jersey.