Wall Street closes higher as new stimulus talks ease shutdown worries

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 44.81 points, or 0.15%, to 29,483.23, the S&P 500 gained 14.08 points, or 0.39%, to 3,581.87 and the Nasdaq Composite added 103.11 points, or 0.87%, to 11,904.71. Of the 11 major sectors in the S&P 500, energy and tech shares gained the most, while utilities and healthcare were the only percentage losers.

NEW YORK: U.S. stocks ended in positive territory on Thursday as fresh stimulus hopes buoyed investor sentiment toward the end of a session fraught with worries over mounting shutdowns and layoffs linked to spiraling COVID-19 infection rates.

All three major stock indexes got a healthy boost after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had agreed to revive talks to craft a new fiscal relief package.