89 WLS - Stocks surge after Congress passes budget deal

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Stocks surge after Congress passes budget deal

7:08AM Wednesday
January 2, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks roared higher on Wall Street and around the world after Congress passed a last-minute budget deal to avert sweeping tax hikes and government spending cuts.

The Dow Jones industrial jumped 308 points to close at 13,412 Wednesday, the first trading day of the year. That's the biggest gain the Dow has had since December 2011.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 36 points to 1,462. The Nasdaq composite rose almost 93 points to 3,112.

The gains were broad. Ten stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange.

Technology and bank stocks had the biggest gains.

Car-sharing company Zipcar surged 48 percent after agreeing to be bought by Avis for nearly $500 million.

Volume was heavier than the recent average at 4.1 billion shares.

NEW YORK (AP) - Stock futures are moving sharply higher after a Congress ended a budget stalemate and averted the so-called fiscal cliff.

Dow Jones industrial futures are up 178 points to 13,205. The broader S&P futures have added 22.7 points to 1,442.80. Nasdaq futures are up 44.25 points to 2,699.50.

The deal, reached just before midnight, leaves a host of issues unresolved and it remained unclear Wednesday how long markets would be buoyed by the agreement. Next up is what could turn into a vicious fight over the debt ceiling, or how much the government is allowed to borrow. Obama said he will not negotiate the issue.

Also on Wednesday, Avis said it will buy Zipcar for about $491 million, expanding its offerings from traditional car rentals to car sharing services.

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