Stocks Close With Major Gains

Despite the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that rattled the East Coast, U.S. stocks finished the day with major gains. The Dow shot up 300 points—its biggest gain in nearly two weeks—while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ rose 36 and 95 points, respectively. Traders on the New York Stock Exchange floor felt the earthquake and paused for less than a minute, then everything was business as usual again. After a few volatile weeks, investors seem to be coming around. “People are maybe thinking there was a rush to judgment on the odds of a double-dip recession,” said the CEO of Gamco Growth Fund.