NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose in a holiday shortened session on Wednesday after a barrage of economic data signaled the economy was weak, but not as bad as feared, while a fall in crude oil prices and bargain hunting helped retail and airline stocks.
* "The expectation is that we are in the worst of what we're going to see in terms of GDP growth and earnings growth," said Scott Wren, senior equity strategist at Wachovia Securities. "All the things the Fed is doing and the Obama administration is going to do is going to be good, and people are starting to look at that."
* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> added 48.99 points, or 0.58 percent, to end unofficially at 8,468.40. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 4.99 points, or 0.58 percent, to finish unofficially at 868.15. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 3.36 points, or 0.22 percent, to close unofficially at 1,524.90.
(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Jan Paschal)
