Wall Street extends Dow's rally to third day

NEW YORK - November 25, 2008 - Both the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index rallied for a third straight session, the first time the Dow has accomplished that feat since late August, and the first time the S&P 500 has done it since mid-September.

Stocks fluctuated during most of the day, with some profit taking expected considering the sizable gains.

Investors were encouraged after the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve said they planned to provide $800 billion to help unfreeze the market for consumer debt and to make mortgage loans cheaper and more available. The program is aimed at reviving moribund credit markets.

The Dow rose 36 points to the 8,479 level.