Stocks of planes, trains and package delivery firms are lifeblood of economy but getting crushed

Technical analysts watch the stocks of transportation companies, the lifeblood of the economy, as an important part of the market that needs to show some strength before the broader market can recover. The Dow Jones Transports were down 1.6 percent Thursday and were down 6.8 percent in the past week and 10.6 percent since the start of the month. Transportation stocks have hit the skids and are looking worse than the broader market, a trend that needs to reverse for stocks to stabilize.