Dow Jones Industrials

The Dow Jones industrial average on Tuesday reclaimed the last of the ground it held before the carnage of the Great Recession %u2014 bailouts, bank failures, layoffs by the million and a stock market plunge that cut retirement savings in half. The Dow closed above 13,000 for the first time since May 19, 2008, almost four months before the fall of the Lehman Brothers investment bank triggered the worst of the financial crisis.

Numerous analysts have questioned the foundations of the current stock market rally, but the sagging economy hasn't stopped the rally from chugging into its ninth month. On Monday, the market charged out of the gate and held on to a three-digit gain all day. Though the rally has ground down all...

With the Dow Jones Industrial ($INDU) average now back above 9,000 for the first time since early January, you may wonder if the market has finally turned around in earnest or if this is simply a bear market rally. The Dow has had an exceptional rally this year. It is now up 34 percent since its...