Stocks Move Higher After 5 Days Of Heavy Selling

From Yahoo Finance via Associated Press:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-move-higher-after-5-apf-14541406.html/print

Stocks move higher after 5 days of heavy selling
Investors return to market after 5 days of selling on Chinese stimulus, plan for homeowners
Sara Lepro, AP Business Writer
Wednesday March 4, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks are higher in midday trading as investors sift for bargains after five straight days of heavy selling.

Investors hungry for any signs that the economy could turn around soon got some encouragement from a government plan to help struggling homeowners and hope for a Chinese economic stimulus package. Industrial and commodity-related stocks, boosted by a sharp increase in oil prices, are leading the market.

A slightly better-than-expected report on the services sector is adding to the market's more positive tone.

At midday, the Dow Jones industrial average is up 142 points at 6,868. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 15 at711, while the Nasdaq composite index is up 34 at 1,355.