Stimulus hopes boost markets

Hope that the European Central Bank would introduce additional stimulus measures sent the markets soaring with the Dow bolting up 323 points to 17,907. Nasdaq jumped 85 points to 4,736.

On the upside

PDF Solutions (Nasdaq: PDFS) signed two contracts that will bring in approximately $6 million in revenue for the first quarter.

Repligen (Nasdaq: RGEN) received $1 million milestone payment from Pfizer (NYSE: PFE).

Regulus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: RGLS) announced key goals to advance its microRNA therapeutics portfolio and biomarkers platform in 2015.

On the downside

Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BCLI) entered a Warrant Exercise Agreement with certain warrant holders.

Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN) priced a private placement of senior notes.

Four law firms announced class action lawsuits against InvenSense (NYSE: INVN) for securities fraud.

In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 3 to 1 on the NYSE and by nearly 3 to 1 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 jumped 36 points to 2062. Bitcoin slipped $3 to $282.