1.   Analysts say the financial markets are not at the beginning of a sustained rally but are merely heading into the happy end of some wide trading ranges.

2.   As long as the uncertainty persists, a sustained stock rally is unlikely, traders said.

3.   At some point, the market will hit bottom and begin a sustained rally.

4.   But he said there are still quite a few unknowns that could quash any sustained rally.

5.   But that news was not enough to stimulate a sustained rally and prices later fell.

6.   In the past couple of years, a surge in profits has fueled a sustained stock rally.

7.   Possibly the next big opportunity for a sustained rally will be in July, when corporations release second-quarter financial reports.

8.   Short covering is a strategy employed by traders in which shares are purchased as a hedge against the outside chance of a sustained rally.

9.   Some analysts believe an earnings rebound alone will not be enough to launch a sustained rally.

10.   The market had some wildly volatile sessions in January, but finished the month virtually unchanged, so it may be poised for a sustained rally, they said.