NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. stocks were broadly higher Thursday, helped by a rise in prices for crude oil and other commodities. Energy and materials companies had some of the biggest gains.
KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 146 points, or 0.8 percent, to 18,440 as of 10:10 a.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 15 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,178 and the Nasdaq composite rose 30 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,325.
ENERGIZED: Energy companies were among the biggest gainers in early trading as oil prices rose. U.S. benchmark crude was up $1.08 to $46.41 a barrel, while Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 92 cents to $47.75 a barrel.
Murphy Oil jumped $1.08, or 4 percent, to $27.52, Transocean rose 33 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $9.46. Marathon Oil rose 49 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $15.14.
Other commodities were also rising, which helped out materials stocks. Copper, platinum and palladium each rose 2 percent. Freeport-McMoRan, the mining giant, jumped 51 cents, or 4.8 percent, to $11.05.