The Daily Prophet: Of Stocks, Profits and Yellen's Credibility

After clearing away the champagne bottles, confetti and balloons after the Dow Jones Industrial Average's historic rally above 20,000, stock traders got back to business today. No case of buyers' remorse could be found, as the index rose again, marking its first three-day rally since early December.

With valuations at their highest since the dot-com bubble, there are plenty of skeptics to question the durability of this eight-year bull market. But one of the things this rally has going for it is the return of corporate profit growth. In fact, earnings for members of the S&P 500 are on track to rise at the fastest pace in two years. Profits jumped 6.3 percent for companies that have announced results, a rate that, if sustained, would make this quarter the best since September 2014.