Monday, the Dow had it biggest point gain ever. That would be a marvelous thing for investors, had it not been at historic lows before the spike. Plain fact is, the rise today represents a pittance to the amount most investors have already lost in this market.

So, what happened, and why?

The answer is much the same as it has been. Struggling financial institutions. They had gotten about as much as they could from the market before. Not totally, but close enough to cause them to panic. To get more, they need a market rebound, so they can do it again. Keep- in mind, they are not fools. When the Dow was 8300, the next support level was 7800. There simply was not much room to maneuver. Solution, a short term rally.