NEW YORK: Stocks rallied in a whipsaw session on Friday as battered share prices and a reassuring outlook from Dell Computer Corp lured investors still grappling with the threat of war in Iraq.
In a highly anticipated speech, top UN weapons inspector Hans Blix offered a mixed picture on Iraq that provided fuel to both hawks and doves on the Security Council facing a decision on war with Baghdad over banned weapons. Stocks climbed as Blix spoke, eased after his report and rose again.