Stocks Log Best Gains in a Month, Dow Back Above 13,000 - Apr. 17, 2012
U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday as worries about Europe eased and investors parsed through the latest round of earnings. The day’s gains were the best since March 13 for all three indexes.
The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) added 194 points, or 1.5%. The move higher pushed the blue chip index back above 13,000, a key psychological milestone, for the first time in over a week.
The S&P 500 (SPX) gained 21 points, or 1.6%, also its best advance in a month, while the Nasdaq (COMP) moved 54 points higher, or 1.8%.
Following a 9% decline over five straight down days, shares of Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) rebounded more than 5%. Despite its recent pullback, Apple remains one of the top-performing stocks this year, up more than 40% year-to-date. It has contributed more than 15% to the S&P 500’s gains this year, according to Standard and Poor’s.