Stocks rose on Wall Street at the opening of trading on Thursday as stronger-than-expected exports in China, the world’s second-biggest economy, raised hopes for a more robust recovery in the global economy this year.
The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index added 0.4 percent, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq composite index gained 0.5 percent in morning trading.
Data showed China’s export growth rebounded sharply to a seven-month high in December, a strong finish to the year after seven straight quarters of slowdown, even as demand from Europe and the United States remained subdued.
Ford shares gained 3.2 percent after it doubled its first-quarter dividend to 10 cents a share, despite a recent drop in market share.
Adding to the bullish sentiment, Spanish benchmark government bond yields fell below 5 percent to a 10-month low on the back of a strong bond auction that raised more than the targeted amount. European stock markets were trading higher after the European Central Bank kept benchmark interest rates steady.
“The market’s more positive and it owes a lot of that to the Chinese economic data,” said Art Hogan, managing director of Lazard Capital Markets in New York, adding that the success of the Spanish auction was also of note.
Shares of the upscale jeweler Tiffany dropped 6 percent after it said earnings for the year through Jan. 31 will be at the lower end of its forecast.
Molycorp shares dropped 20 percent after the company said revenue and cash flow would be lower than expected this year due to lower rare-earth prices.
Nokia shares jumped 14 percent on Wall Street after the Finnish handset maker said its fourth-quarter results were better than expected and that the mobile phone business achieved underlying profitability.
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