The Dow’s march to the 18,000 level had to overcome a long lineup of obstacles this year. None of them was a match against the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 5.6 percent over the past five days for the biggest rally since 2011, climbing to 18,024.17 yesterday, as the central bank pledged patience in raising interest rates while data showed the economy roared the most in the third quarter since 2003. A measure of expected volatility in the Dow has fallen the most in three years during the recent rally.
