Economy

Stocks surge after last-minute budget deal reached

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening sharply higher on Wall Street after lawmakers averted sweeping cuts in government spending and with a last-minute budget deal.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 232 points to 13,336 shortly after the opening bell Tuesday, the first trading day of 2013. That's a gain of 1.8 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shot up 29 points, or 2 percent, to 1,455. The Nasdaq composite rose 82 points, or 2.7 percent, to 3,102.

Investors have been keeping a close eye on the budget stalemate in Washington and were relieved that a deal was reached. However the late-night budget agreement leaves many issues unresolved and it remained unclear how long the market rally would last. Next up is a fight over the government's borrowing limit.

Related Headlines

  • Stocks open higher following jump in goods orders

    Stocks are opening higher on Wall Street after factory orders for February increased sharply, reflecting a rebound in the aircraft industry. The Commerce Department reported ... 

  • John Yaccarine, James Dresch

    US futures again heading higher

    Stock futures are rising for the third consecutive day and markets at home and abroad appear to be heading for fresh record highs. Dow Jones industrial futures are up 13 ... 

  • US futures edge up on strong corporate earnings

    Stock futures are being pushed higher as surprisingly strong earnings from U.S. corporations overshadow the ongoing economic tumult in Europe. Dow Jones industrial futures are ... 

  • James Denaro, Jonathan Corpina

    Stocks move higher on good earnings results

    Another batch of strong earnings from U.S. companies is sending the stock market higher in early trading. An encouraging report on the labor market also brought buyers back ... 

Overnight Averages

Find your future job here