Dow Up 173 on Housing, Retail

Markets rallied today on positive news from the retail and housing sectors, the Wall Street Journal reports. Major builders saw stocks go up as much as 15%, leading some to predict an end to the crisis in the housing market. In retail, meanwhile, companies such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Best Buy benefited from the bankruptcies of competitors. The Dow was up 172.54 to 8,472.40. The S&P gained 19.33 to end at 920.27. And NASDAQ tacked on 37.20 to finish at 1,829.54. (More stock market stories.)