US STOCK MARKETS SURGE ON SOLID EARNINGS

Strong results from companies including Microsoft and Visa helped Wall Street bust out of another losing streak. The rally wiped out most of the market’s plunge from Wednesday, but stocks are still down sharply over the past three weeks. The S&P 500 rose 1.9 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.6 percent and the Nasdaq added 3 percent. Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.13 percent.