Some Notes from Today's WSJ

A few notes from today's Wall Street Journal:

"Meet the supporting cast," by Tom Lauricella:

Financial markets of just about every stripe pushed higher in 2010, marking a second year of recovery from the financial crisis.

As was the case in 2009, investors can thank continued, unprecedented efforts by governments and central banks around the globe to keep their economies and financial markets afloat for those good returns.

"Taxing year brings a less-taxing year," by Laura Saunders:

Many advisers see this year's changes as providing a two-year window to plan for higher taxes that may be coming when lawmakers tackle deficit issues. This is especially true for investors with large capital gains or those who would owe gift and estate taxes, who have far more ability than wage-earners to time their taxes.

self-explanatory: "Big firms poised to spend again," by James R. Hagerty and Dana Mattioli