Associated Press Stocks post modest gains as financials lead market higher for second day; tech stocks climb

NEW YORK (AP) -- It took some work, but investors managed to turn Wall Street's best performance this year into a two-day advance.

Stocks ended with modest gains Wednesday but the Dow Jones industrial average still recorded its first two-day climb since Feb. 5-6. The buying was far more subdued than on Tuesday when Citigroup Inc.'s upbeat assessment of its business sent investors rushing into the market, in part to cover bets that stocks would continue to slide. The Dow on Wednesday ended up nearly 4 points after jumping 379 the day before.

The session's mood was more tentative than some investors might have hoped for, but given the market's dismal performance for much of 2009, just holding on to gains from the rally was a victory.

Financial stocks that led the market's huge rally Tuesday continued to pull ahead Wednesday. Tech stocks rose after an analyst raised Hewlett-Packard Co.'s rating.

But analysts again cautioned that the market remains deeply troubled by the problems in the banking industry and the impact of the recession on companies in all industries. And, they noted that there was little conviction behind Tuesday's buying. more...