Indications that the Federal Reserve would maintain record low interest rates boosted the markets to a sharply higher close with the Dow rocketing 274 points to 16,994. Nasdaq leaped 83 points to 4,468.
On the upside
The death of the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S. lifted shares of hazmat suit maker Lakeland Industries (Nasdaq: LAKE).
Rebounding gold prices lifted shares of Eldorado Gold (NYSE: EGO) and AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ).
Activist investor Carl Icahn will send an "interesting" letter to Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) chief executive Tim Cook tomorrow.
On the downside
Liquid Holdings Group (Nasdaq: LIQD) launched the beta version of LiquidMobile to select users but the stock price fell.
TheStreet's Adam Feuersteing noted that hedge fund managers are shorting shares of Northwest Biotherapeutics (Nasdaq: NWBO).
Profit taking weighed down share of IFM Investments (NYSE: CTC).
In the broad market, advancing outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 4 to 1 on the NYSE and by nearly 5 to 2 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 soared 33 points to 1968. Bitcoin gained $18 to $346.
Federal Reserve to maintain low rates, markets surge
October 08, 2014 at 18:28 PM EDT