Stocks rally, snapping a three-day losing streak, as the latest batch of earnings news, including quarterly reports from Walt Disney Co. and beer giant Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., attracted investors looking for signs of profit growth.
The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 42.75 points to finish at 2,059.36. The benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 index added 19.27 points to 1,228.74.
Wall Street also got a boost after the National Association of Realtors said US March sales of existing homes rose 4.8 per cent, well above Wall Street's expectations.
Disney shares rose $2.23, or 7.8 per cent, to $30.81, after reporting fiscal second-quarter earnings that surpassed Wall Street estimates. Anheuser-Busch added $1.01, or 2.54 percent, to $40.78.
