SPENDING, NOT THE ECONOMY:

The Rebound: Numbers tell story of market recovery (TIM PARADIS 03/07/10, Daily Caller)

The numbers are hard to believe. The Dow has rocketed 61 percent in a year. That’s the kind of gain that would normally come in five or six good years. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index — which is the basis for many retirement accounts and mutual funds — jumped 20 percent in the first 10 trading days after March low. It’s now up 68 percent.

And Citigroup? The bank that was hardest hit by the financial meltdown has seen its shares triple to $3.50.

There are still huge worries about jobs, deficits and the government’s role in propping up a shaky financial system. But the market’s climb means that, for now, investors are betting on a sustained economic recovery.

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at one of the most remarkable years in the history of the stock market.