Stocks Closed Higher amid Greece Optimism

U.S. stocks ended with solid gains on Tuesday as investor optimism was fueled by hopes that embattled Greece and its creditors are nearing a compromise to avert a default. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 139.55 points, or 0.79%, to 17,868.76. The S&P 500 gained 21.85 points, or 1.07%, to 2,068.59. The Nasdaq Composite added 61.63 points, or 1.30%, to 4,787.65.

The European Commission said there was no formal proposal for resolving Greece’s debt problems, although talks were intensive ahead of a series of meetings of euro zone finance ministers and EU leaders in Brussels.

Halliburton Co.said Tuesday it plans to shed up to 8% of its global workforce as low oil prices force energy companies to rein in spending.The job cuts could amount to 6,400 layoffs; the company says it has more than 80,000 employees around the world.

First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) announced that Apple has committed $848 million for clean energy from First Solar’s California Flats Solar Project in Monterey County, Calif. Apple will receive electricity from 130 megawatts (MW)AC of the solar project under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA), the largest agreement in the industry to provide clean energy to a commercial end user.