Dow gains 400 points in two days

A recession can be avoided, an investment chief says.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street scored its second straight big advance Thursday after economic figures suggested the job market is holding up and as lawmakers promised measures that could ease concerns about consumer spending.

The Dow Jones industrials rose more than 100 points, bringing its two-day gain to more than 400.

While stocks fluctuated throughout the session, trading was decidedly more calm than on Wednesday, when Wall Street executed a stunning turnaround that transformed a sharp sell-off into big gains for stocks.

Thursday’s rise was notable, however, as investors will often move in a day after a rally or plunge to take profits or scoop up bargains. That the buying largely continued was a positive sign, observers said.

Investors were clearly interested in buying, but despite the size of the advance, there didn’t appear to be much conviction it — the market is still searching for clues about the economy in hopes of determining whether it will soon pick up or perhaps slow and tip into recession.

In addition, the market wobbled during the session after Fitch Ratings lowered its rating on bond insurer Security Capital Assurance Ltd. Bond insurers have been hurt in the fallout from the mortgage and credit crises, and news of their problems has shaken the market.

But those seeking good news found some in a Labor Department report that said the number of people seeking unemployment benefits last week fell for a fourth straight week. Applications for benefits dropped 1,000 to 301,000, pushing claims down to the lowest level in four months.

Investors also appeared pleased by a widely anticipated agreement between Congressional leaders and the White House on an economic stimulus package.

Bill Dwyer, chief investment officer at MTB Investment Advisors in Baltimore, said Wall Street found some relief from word of the economic stimulus plan as well as the efforts of regulators to help bond insurers. He said the Federal Reserve’s decision to lower interest rate this week could also help some struggling homeowners hold onto their properties. The efforts, he said, could ultimately help stave off recession.

“People have that ‘R’ word stuck on the front of their forehead. It’s really just a dramatic slowing of growth. We may not have a recession,” Dwyer said.

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 108.44, or 0.88 percent, to 12,378.61, following a nearly 300 point surge on Wednesday. The Dow has not finished higher for two straight sessions since Jan. 9-10.

Broader stock indicators also rose. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 13.47, or 1.01 percent, to 1,352.07, and the Nasdaq composite index advanced 44.51, or 1.92 percent, to 2,360.92.