The stock market has rallied strongly. The Dow was up 204 points, back above the 10,000 level. The S&P surged 20 and the Nasdaq was up about 50 points.

• The White House says President Barack Obama will sign a bill Friday morning that expands a popular homebuyer tax credit and extends unemployment benefits. Congress completed work on the $24 billion economic package that seeks to help out the millions who have lost jobs and have been unable to rejoin the workforce.
• Retailers report rising sales in October, and that marks back-to-back sales gains after more than a year of
  retrenchment by the consumer. A number of stores, including Gap and Aeoropostale raised their profit outlooks as result.
• Borders Group plans to close 200 Waldenbooks stores, cutting 1,500 jobs in January. Borders says the
  closings will leave about 130 Waldenbooks stores still in business.
• Crude oil futures prices ended lower. Benchmark crude for December delivery fell 78 cents to settle at $79.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.