Worst first quarter ever | Will economy shrink 34%? | Another $2 trillion for infrastructure

The first quarter of 2020 came to an end on Wednesday as the worst first quarter ever for stocks.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE TUE, MAR 31, 2020 EVENING BRIEF AS OF TUE, MAR 31, 2020 • 04:32 ET DJIA 21917.16 -1.84% -410.32 S&P 500 2584.59 -1.60% -42.06 NASDAQ 7700.10 -0.95% -74.05   Most Active DOW NAME LAST CHG %CHG MSFT 157.71 -2.52 -1.57% AAPL 254.29 -0.52 -0.20% INTC 54.12 -1.37 -2.47% S&P 500 NAME LAST CHG %CHG F 4.83 -0.20 -3.98% GE 7.94 +0.05 +0.63% CCL 13.17 +0.37 +2.89% NASDAQ NAME LAST CHG %CHG AMD 45.48 -2.38 -4.97% MSFT 157.71 -2.52 -1.57% AAPL 254.29 -0.52 -0.20% EDITOR'S NOTE If it seemed like the worst first quarter for stocks, well,  it's because it was.   The first quarter of 2020 vastly overshadowed the first quarters of 2008 and 2009, and it even tops the first quarters of 1938 and 1939.   Stocks swung between gains and losses on Tuesday, but the major indexes all finished the last day of the quarter in bear market territory.    How the market fares for the next three quarters will continue to be a matter of ongoing speculation as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic.   The more bullish strategists see a market backstopped by the Federal Reserve and the U.S.  government. They also see progress on testing and vaccines. The bears fret about longer-term damage to the economy and a retesting of the lows seen on March 23.   Either bet is risky because the pandemic remains unpredictable.   "As we conclude an unforgettable March and 1st Quarter today, the market seemingly has drifted …  to no man's land," wrote Frank Cappelleri, executive director at Instinet.     Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world. Al Lewis | CNBC Markets Editor @tellittoal TOP NEWS  Stocks fall as the Dow wraps up its worst first quarter ever Trump calls for $2 trillion infrastructure package as part of coronavirus response Goldman sees 15% jobless rate and 34% GDP decline, followed by the fastest recovery in history Cuomo says coronavirus is 'more dangerous' than expected as New York cases jump 14% overnight to 75,795 Track the latest coronavirus news here Largest US mall owner, Simon Property, furloughs 30% of workforce, adding to avalanche of coronavirus-related retail layoffs US gasoline prices are below $2 per gallon on average for first time in four years Large investors still say they aren't ready to sell as coronavirus crisis continues House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the country must move toward vote by mail, setting up a fight with Trump JPMorgan starts mandatory diversity training for managers after discrimination allegations     TOP VIDEO Watch the full interview with Stephen Tusa   CNBC PRO Hedge funds are buying again and are likely to return to these old, favorite stocks   SPECIAL REPORTS As energy stocks tumble, these names have best chance of survival Retail stock winners — traders pick five names to weather the crisis   Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2020 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS