Stocks rose on increased hopes for a coronavirus vaccine and a possible easing of U.S.-China trade tensions.
The S&P 500 was up 0.9% to 3,146.73 during midday trading.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average also rose 0.9%, reaching 26,259.31.
The Nasdaq climbed 1.4% to 10,197.10.
The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond rose 1.8% to 0.717%.
The price of gold increased 1% to $1,783.10.
The price for a barrel of oil was up 0.4% to $40.88.
HEALTHCARE
Lake Forest-based medical device maker Staar Surgical Company (Nasdaq: STAA) surged 7% to $61.05 per share for a market cap of $2.8 billion, continuing last week’s gains. Staar is “around the top of the Medical Instruments & Supplies industry,” analyst website InvestorsObserver.com reported earlier in the day.
RETAIL
Irvine Western-inspired retailer Boot Barn Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BOOT) fell 4.2% to $21.64 per share for a market cap of $624 million. Analyst site Insider Monkey reported the day before that Boot Barn “has witnessed falling interest from hedge fund managers” and “the smart money is in a pessimistic mood.”
