The S&P 500 was up 0.7% to 2,086.62 in midday trading.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.5% to 17,945.37 and the Nasdaq was up 0.4% tp 4,960.30.
The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond declined 0.7% to 2.04%.
The price of gold rose 0.3% to $1,152.
RETAIL
Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc. was up 23% to $2.10 and a $357.4 million market cap. The surf apparel maker and seller reporter a lower-than-expected loss yesterday.
SERVICES
Newport Beach-based Acacia Research Corp. was up 3.3% to $11.10 and a $565.3 million market cap. The patent licensing company said its American Vehicular Sciences LLC subsidiary had settled patent license dispute with U.S. units of Switzerland-based Garmin Ltd.
