Blockbuster earnings reports propelled the market higher today, as the Dow Jones closed above the 10,000 level for the first time in over a year. Both Intel and JP Morgan, bellwethers of the tech and finance industry, reported better-than-expected earnings, beating both revenue and profit estimates. The markets responded accordingly:

Resistance at the 1070-1080 level of the S&P 500 was finally broken, after four previous attempts to do so. So what does this all mean? Does the buck stop here, or are we really headed back to Dow 14,000?

At this point, it’s best to practice prudence. We must proceed with caution, as the locomotive may run out of the constant flow of good news needed to keep powering it forward. If wealth preservation is ultimately your goal, you do not want to be caught at the wrong end of a downturn again.