Tuesday, March 9, 2010 –

Stocks & Indices –

• The benchmark indices finished higher for the session: DJIA (0.1%), S&P 500 (0.2%), Nasdaq (0.4%), Russell 2000 (0.4%) and the Wilshire 5000 (0.2%).

• The Dow has risen for three of the past four trading days and the S&P 500 has risen for seven of the past eight.

• Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Dow’s recent bear-market low of 6,547.05.

• On March 9, 2009, the Dow fell to a 12-year closing low of 6,547.05.

• The Dow is up 61.4% since then. However, it is still down 25.4% from its record closing high of 14,164.53, reached on October 9, 2007.

• The Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index – a measure of the performance of all U.S. stocks – is up 74%, or by $6.1 trillion, since March 9, 2009.

• The Nasdaq and Russell 2000 reached new 2010 closing highs today, of 2,340.68 and 669.63, respectively.

• Shares of Citigroup finished 7.3% higher, in part due to a report by the Fox Business Network that the government is discussing plans to sell its 27% stake in the bank within a few months. According to MarketWatch.com, investors also reacted to news that CreditSights said Citigroup is "back from the brink and back in business” and that its stock “is just plain cheap.”

• Shares of Bank of America (0.4%) and Wells Fargo (0.3%) also gained.

• According to Reuters, shares of airlines rose in response to statements that they would continue to explore new fees and cost-cutting measures to enhance profitability, and that demand for business travel picked up. AMR Corp. rose by 9.3% and UAL Corp. gained 3.7%.