Market Rallies for Record Close

The Dow finished above 9,000 for the first time since January on Thursday, a surprise rebound that included eBay rallying 9 percent and Ford up 8.5 precent. But some caution that this doesn't mean the bull is back—lowered expectations were a major factor. "Better-than-expected results" from bolstered eBay, Ford, and AT&T, along with an increase in home re-sales produced the warm feelings on Wall Street. More closely-watched quarterly reports are expected from Amazon, Microsoft and others Thursday evening. "Relative to the estimates, it looks like they are doing well. Part of that is an expectations game," an expert told Bloomberg in reference to the companies that surged Thursday. Optimistic observers say that eBay's boost signals a recovery in e-commerce. Ford rebounded by restructuring its debt, and AT&T keeps raking in loot from the ubiquitous iPhone.