US stocks have extended yesterday's big rally led by high-technology issues, one month after the deadly September 11th attacks, after a string of corporate earnings bolstered investors' confidence.
The attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center, damaged the Pentagon and left over 5,500 people dead also knocked the wind out of the stock market, sending major indexes more than 11 per cent lower in the week after the assaults.
The New York Stock Exchange observed a moment of silence today to mark the month since the attacks.
The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index rose 24.01 points, or 1.48 per cent, to 1,650.27 today. The blue chip Dow Jones industrial average gained 27.87 points, or 0.3 per cent, at 9,268.73. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 3.65 points, or 0.34 per cent, at 1,084.64.
The market has regained nearly all of its post-attack losses. The S&P is now down just 1 per cent from its close on September 10th.
Yahoo! rose 95 cents at $11.88. The Internet media giant reported a loss that was in line with estimates and said it may cut more jobs.
Genentech, the world's second-largest biotechnology company, posted a 22 per cent rise in earnings, and its stock rose sharply in pre-open trading.