CONDITIONS DON'T CHANGE; THEY JUST NOTICE THEM:

Dow's best day, best week of 2005(MICHAEL P. REGAN, 2/05/05, Chicago Sun-Times)

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 123.03, or 1.2 percent, to 10,716.13. It was the first triple-digit gain for the Dow in 2005 and the best one-day gain since Dec. 1.

Broader stock indicators also moved substantially higher. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up 13.14, or 1.1 percent, at 1,203.03, breaking through the 1,200 level for the first time since Jan. 3. The Nasdaq composite index gained 29.02, or 1.4 percent, to 2,086.66, the index's best close since Jan. 18.

The week's good news -- successful elections in Iraq, no surprises from the Fed on interest rates and falling oil prices -- prompted much of the gains and helped investors put Friday's jobs report in perspective, analysts said. Economic growth, without inflationary pressures, could be healthier for the economy in the long-term, not to mention better for stock prices.