Rebounding crude oil prices lifted the markets during the midday with the Dow soaring 134 points to 18,168. Nasdaq surged 58 points to 5,232.
Dollar General announced plans to hire 10,000 employees over the next month as part of its expansion plans. The discount retailer is looking for full-time as well as part-time workers for positions such as store managers, lead sales associates and store associates. Dollar General will open 900 stores by the end of this year and plans to open 1,000 stores next year.
The new Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus do not launch until Friday, but many models are already sold out. The jet black model of the iPhone 7 and every single model of the iPhone 7 Plus have already been reserved online. Pre-orders can still be placed online but consumers will may have to wait until November for delivery of their phone.
The Atlanta Federal Reserve expects that nation's economy to grow at a 3.0% annualized rate in the third quarter. Previously, the Atlanta Fed forecast growth at 3.3% but a 0.3% drop in August retail sales prompted the downward revision.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 7 to 2 on the NYSE and by more than 5 to 2 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 climbed 16 points to 2,142. Bitcoin eased a $1 to $607.
