Has Armageddon Been Postponed Again?

Armageddon looks as if it will be postponed again — or so Wall Street must think.

The blue-chip Dow Jones index rose for a fourth straight week, boosted by a strong rally Friday as money poured in despite uncertainty over Europe's plan to contain its government-debt crisis.

The Dow jumped 267.01 points, or 2.3%, to 11,808.79, the index's highest closing level since Aug. 3. It gained 1.4% for the week.

Although many investors feared that October would bring another market bust, the opposite has happened: After diving to one-year lows Oct. 3, stocks have mostly moved higher since, although trading has remained volatile.