Dow Has Best 2-Month Showing Since 2002

The markets were mixed today but wrapped up a strong month. The Dow, which fell 17.61 points to close at 8168.12, rose 7.4% in April, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow has risen 15.65% in two months—its best two-month showing since 2002 and the start of the last bull market, the Journal notes. The Nasdaq, which gained 5.36 to 1,717.30, is up 25% in the same span. The S&P 500 fell 0.83 to 872.81 but rose 9.4% in April and is up 19% since March.

"Everyone is a little news sensitive for the next big thing," said a trader for vFinance Investments. "At the same time, however, investors need to make back their losses and are starting to realize you can't do that in T-bills or the mattress. To get back what you lost, you have to be investing." (More Dow Jones stories.)