Nasdaq gains 2pc as Apple soars

NEW YORK: US stocks jumped on Thursday, with a 4 percent rise in Apple helping to lift the Nasdaq 2 percent as better-than-expected earnings and reduced concerns about Europe's debt crisis helped improve sentiment.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 195.49 points, or 1.51 percent, to 13,116.90. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 21.82 points, or 1.59 percent, to 1,391.39. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 60.85 points, or 2.04 percent, to 3,049.25.