Zowie! Nasdaq Up 11.8%; Second-Best Day Ever

Tech stocks today came roaring back from last week’s historic sell-off, with the Nasdaq Composite posting one of the best days in the history of the index. At the bell, the index was up 194.74 points, or 11.8%, to 1,844.25. On a percentage basis, that is the second best trading for the index since it was created in early 1971. (The one day with a bigger gain was 14.2% on January 3, 2001.) In terms of points, it was the 10th largest one-day gainer ever. (The biggest: nearly 325 points on January 3, 2001.) The gains come on a day of relatively light trading, and with the bond market shut down for Columbus Day. But still: those are some impressive numbers. The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its biggest ever one day rise in terms of points, up 963 points. The Nasdaq most active list is almost surreal: Microsoft (MSFT): Up $3.49, or 16.2%, to $24.99. Intel (INTC): Up $1.47, or 9.7%, to $16.66. Cisco (CSCO): Up $1.77, or 10.3%, to $19. Apple (AAPL): Up $12.58, or 13%, to ... (link)