NEW YORK -- Stocks shot higher today, pushing the Dow Jones industrial average back above 8,000 for the first time since October's bruising slide. Dow gains
189.98 to top 8,000The Dow rose 189.98 points to close at 8,013.11, essentially repairing all the remaining damage from the market's steep downturn in late October, but still sits nearly 250 points below its record high of 8,259.31, set on Aug. 6.
Advancers led outnumbered decliners by a 2-to-1 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 2,024 up, 997 down and 444 unchanged. Volume was heavy as many traders returned from a four-day Thanksgiving break after skipping Friday's abbreviated session. About 589.67 million shares changed hands on the NYSE.
Most broad-market indicators also posted big gains, with some moving within easy striking distance of record territory.
The Standard & Poor's 500-stock list rose 19.37 to 974.77, less than 9 points shy of record territory. The NYSE composite index rose 8.63 to 507.73, moving within 7 points of a new high. The Nasdaq composite index rose 30.17 to 1,630.72, but still sits about 215 points from record terrain.
Smaller-company shares failed to keep pace. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 4.24 to 434.16, and the small-company dominated American Stock Exchange composite index rose just 2.02 to 664.13.
Meanwhile, the price of the Treasury's main 30-year bond was up 8/32 point, or $2.66 per $1,000 in face value, by late afternoon, while its yield fell to 6.03 percent from 6.05 percent on Friday.