U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rally on Wall Street Optimism
By Alejandro Lazo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 10, 2009; 4:49 PM
U.S. stock markets rallied strongly and broadly today, closing up more than 5 percent, as hope on Wall Street spread that the fortunes of some of the nation's largest financial ins utions might be turning around.
The surge, which was sparked by morning news that beleaguered financial giant Citigroup had posted profits in the first two months of the year, grew in its robustness throughout the day to touch every sector, from technology companies to utility giants to Detroit automakers.
Although analysts warned that concerns over the economy, housing and credit markets could still imperil any recovery, the scope of the gains led some to hold out optimism that a turning point could be near following weeks of decline.
"There is finally some good news out there for once, and it seems to have gotten the markets rolling on the upside, and we are hopeful we can hold this sentiment," Andrew Brooks, head of stock trading at T. Rowe Price, said. "The selling has been unabated, if you will; one up day does not improve the entire framework, but it sure feels a lot better."