Thread: Dow up 102.94 points, biggest gain in 5 weeks

Dow up 102.94 points, biggest gain in 5 weeks

Investors shrug at Treasury Secretary Geithner’s testimony before Congress

updated 24 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Investors are starting to believe that the stock market is on the verge of another big rally.

The Dow Jones industrials rose almost 103 points Tuesday, their biggest gain in more than two weeks. The day's economic news was tepid as the National Association of Realtors reported a drop in homes sales last month that wasn't as steep as forecast. But analysts said many investors, after seeing the Dow at new highs for 2010, were afraid of missing out on further gains.

The report on housing was typical of recent economic numbers that have been somewhat better than expected but that still point to a weak economy. Sales of previously occupied homes fell 0.6 percent last month to an annual rate of 5.02 million. The drop was less than expected.

For now, the sales numbers aren't hurting hopes that the economy can recover even if the housing market is still sluggish. The Commerce Department is expected to report new home sales for February on Wednesday. A month ago, investors shrugged off an 11.2 percent drop in that reading.

The market's continuing advance has been welcome but analysts are divided over whether stocks have run too far or if they have more to gain because of improvements in the economy. The recent gains have been mild in contrast to those of 2010 when triple-digit gains in the Dow were frequent as the index soared higher from a 12-year low.

Even many traders who have doubts about how solid the advance is, expect it to continue until something pops the optimistic mood.

"You can't deny the trend. Definitely the trend is higher," said Doreen Mogavero, president of brokerage Mogavero, Lee & Co. in New York. She said investors are optimistic about the health of corporate earnings for the January-March quarter.

"Things seem to be moving along in the right direction. So to that end I think people are feeling better."

But Mogavero is cautious because the advance has come on light trading volume, which signals that not many investors are willing to put money into the market.

The Dow rose 102.94, or 1 percent, to 10,888.83, its biggest point and percentage gain since March 5. The Dow has risen 10 of the past 11 days and is at its highest level since Sept. 26, 2008. It has risen 147 points, or 1.4 percent, in two days.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 8.36, or 0.7 percent, to 1,174.17. It also stands at an 18-month high.

The Nasdaq composite index rose 19.84, or 0.8 percent, to 2,415.24, a 19-month high.

The rise in stocks sent bond prices lower and yields higher. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.69 percent from 3.66 percent late Monday.

The dollar rose against most other major currencies. Gold rose.

Crude oil rose 31 cents to $81.91 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Stocks rose Monday after House lawmakers on Sunday approved a health care overhaul bill that will extend health insurance to 32 million Americans. Drug and hospital companies rose in part because of the prospect of increased demand.

Joe Saluzzi, co-head of equity trading at Themis Trading LLC, said the market has continued higher because traders are placing short-term bets, not because they believe stock prices are too low. That makes the advance difficult to justify, he said.

"Look at the daily charts. They just grind higher. We call it the sausage factory. At the end of the day it tastes great but nobody knows how it's made," Saluzzi said.

Traders showed little reaction Tuesday to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's testimony before Congress about government efforts to overhaul mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The pair, which were taken over by the government during the credit crisis, guarantee a majority of mortgages. The government's support has helped keep interest rates low as part of an effort to help the housing market recover.

News moving the markets
Existing-home sales fall for 3rd straight month
Geithner: Housing needs government oversight
Unlikely ally of health care reform: business

Investors found some news about housing that they didn't like. Homebuilder KB Home fell 29 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $17.15 after its fiscal first quarter loss was wider than expected and revenue fell short of forecasts.

More than two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 4.47 billion shares, compared with 4.29 billion Monday.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 7.39, or 1.1 percent, to 690.30.

Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.5 percent, Germany's DAX index gained 0.5 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.6 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 0.5 percent.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35998778/ns ... d_economy/

Yes, the very big investors are happy about the Health Care bill. Anyone watching this?

W

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