The Associated Press
US Markets Gain Amid Global Optimism
(AP) U.S. financial markets are moving higher in midday trading, with health care stocks among the biggest gainers.
Some encouraging news from Japan and Germany also helped lift markets.
Key Indexes Show Modest Increases
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index added eight points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,049 as of 11:55 a.m. Eastern time.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 40 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,688. The Nasdaq composite gained 25 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,696.
Stocks with Notable Movements Today
Nokia rose 4 percent after the Finnish technology company said it would introduce a tablet computer that runs the Android operating system.
Urban Outfitters sank 9 percent after its latest quarterly earnings missed analysts’ forecasts.
Falling Oil Prices Impact Energy Stocks
The price of oil fell $1.21 to $74.44 a barrel in New York. That helped send energy stocks lower.
