The Dow Jones blue-chip index on Wednesday rose above 10,000 points for the first time since October 2008 as US stocks powered higher.
Cries of joy rang out at the New York Stock Exchange as the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 10,001.58 at 1720 GMT after hovering around the key 10,000 level for several minutes.
It was the first time the index has climbed above 10,000 points since October 7, 2008, when the stock market was sinking rapidly following the collapse of the Lehman Brothers three weeks earlier.
The Dow has gained 53 per cent since it hit its lowest point in March, but still remains far behind its record levels of more than 14,000 points reached in October 2007.
© 2009 AAP
