STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with the mayhem in Moscow's markets.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: While we watch Wall Street go down hundreds of points, and then down hundreds more points, and then back up hundreds of points, but people in Russia's financial markets may be feeling even more whipsawed. Markets there have been falling all week. By Wednesday, the leading Russian stock indexes were down more than 10 percent, which sparked memories of the country's financial meltdown a decade ago. So, officials shut down stock and bond markets for two days. They put together a massive financial-rescue package, which involved buying up shares at the market and injecting money in the banks. Seems to be working little too well. When markets opened today, prices shut up so high so fast, officials suspended trading again, this time for just an hour. Still, Russia's markets are down more that 50 percent since May.
Financial markets in Russia have been in a free fall this week. By Wednesday, when the leading Russian stock indexes were down more than 10 percent, officials closed the markets for two days. A massive financial rescue package seems to be working. When markets opened Friday, prices shot up so high, so fast, that officials suspended trading again, but this time just for an hour.