Stocks Surged, Closing Up for Third Straight Day

U.S. stocks roared higher on Thursday, closing up for the third day in a row , as investors took some comfort from the overnight passage of a historic $2 trillion economic stimulus bill by the Senate. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1,351.62 points, or 6.38%, higher, to 22,552.17. The S&P 500 gained 154.51 points, or 6.24%, to 2,630.07. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 413.24 points, or 5.60%, to 7,797.54.

Oil futures settled lower on Thursday as growing worries about the decline in energy demand due to the global COVID-19 pandemic prompted prices to mark their first decline in four sessions. West Texas Intermediate crude for May delivery fell $1.89, or 7.7%, to settle at $22.60 a barrel. The front-month May Brent crude lost $1.05, or 3.8%, to $26.34 a barrel.