US stocks soar on first day of '10 trading

After a buoyant end to 2009 - the Dow Jones gained 61% since March - the index advanced more than 100 points in early trading, or 0.98%, to reach 10,530. Speaking on Sunday, Bernanke said low interest rates in the first half of the last decade were "appropriate" at the time and were not the main cause of the ensuing housing bubble. However, he said the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates to prevent another economic crisis. Among the top winners were Intel, up 0.5 points, or 2.45%, to 20.9, and Chevron, up 1.85 to 78.84. Elsewhere, Alcoa and Pfizer also climbed. McDonalds ...