Stock Surged at Open

U.S. stocks soared at the open on Thursday, to kick off the first trading day of the new year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately rose 162.58 points, or 0.57%, to 28,701.02. The S&P 500 gained 17.20 points, or 0.53%, to 3,247.98. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 79.28 points, or 0.88%, to 9,051.88.

Oil futures were off to a mixed start for 2020 on Thursday, with crude finding a modicum of support after China’s central bank announced it would provide a further shot of stimulus to the economy. West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery was flat at $61.06 a barrel, while Brent crude for March delivery rose 30 cents, or 0.5%, to $66.30 a barrel.