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NEW YORK (MCT) — U.S. stocks ended a two- day losing streak as com- ments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke favoring low interest rates outweighed bleak housing data. The Dow Jones industri- al average, which had fallen 120 points over the previ- ous two sessions, recouped 91.75 points, or 0.9 percent, to end at 10,374.16 on Wednesday, helped by gains in 28 of its 30 compo- nents. Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. were the Dow's biggest gainers, up more than 2 per- cent each. The average's only decliners were Alcoa Inc., off 0.9 percent, and Kraft Foods, down 0.3 per- cent. Bernanke's two-day congressional testimony follows the Fed's move last week to increase its rate on emergency loans to banks. The Fed chief stressed that the move won't necessarily translate into an increase in the benchmark funds rate anytime soon _ a message Wall Street wanted to hear. "Every time the market hears that low interest rates are here to stay, it reacts as if it's the first time it's heard that," said strategist Dan Greenhaus of Miller Tabak. "You would think people have internalized it by now. But at the same time, I think it also shows how up in arms some people got after the discount-rate move." Following a burst of midmorning buying after Bernanke began his remarks, volume was light through the rest of the ses- sion. Composite volume in New York Stock Exchange- listed names ended at 4.3 billion shares, below the year-to-date average. Gain- ers outnumbered decliners by more than two to one. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 1 percent. The S&P 500 rose 1 per- cent, helped by gains in ever sector except basic materials, which slipped 0.1 percent. The financial sector, which is especially reliant on a flow of cheap money from the Fed, was the strongest category in the S&P 500, up 1.7 percent. Financials were also helped by reports that key senators are opposed to President Barack Obama's proposal to prohibit com- mercial banks from making certain risky bets with their own capital, a practice that has heavily contributed to Wall Street's profits the past few years. "Whether we need that regulation, good or bad, there's probably some relief that the banks might not be put through this grueling exercise of decoupling," said Tim Evnin, equity portfolio manager at Ever- core Wealth Management. The session's key data release was dismal. The Commerce Department reported that new-home sales skidded 11.2 percent in January from December. Economists had expected a slight rise in sales, to a pace of 355,000. The drop erased all gains made in the housing market during the past year. "The housing data were sort of a rotten egg," said Keith Hembre, chief econo- mist at First American Funds in Minneapolis. "Housing is still in the dol- drums, but that seems to be getting ignored by the mar- ket." H&R Block Inc. shares slid 12.2 percent after the company said it won't meet its fiscal-year guidance because tax-return prepara- tion so far this season is short of where it was a year ago. Zale Corp. shares leapt 8.6 percent after the compa- ny said it swung to a stronger-than-expected profit in its fiscal second quarter, snapping six straight quarters of losses. Dollar Tree Inc. shares jumped 12.3 percent after saying its fiscal fourth- quarter earnings rose 28 percent on better gross margins as the discount retailer continues to fare well during the downturn. The company forecast first- quarter earnings above expectations and revenue in line. 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