Stocks end higher, propelled by strong bank earnings as Goldman shares jump

Stocks ended moderately higher Wednesday, boosted after upbeat bank earnings that saw shares of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. rally more than 9%. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% to end near 2,616, according to preliminary figures, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced around 139 points, or 0.6%, to around 24,205. The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.2% to finish near 7,035. Financials led the way higher, with the sector rising 2.2% as Goldman shares, which took a beating in 2018, jumped 9.5% after the investment banking giant topped Wall Street expectations with its fourth-quarter results. Goldman was the top gainer for both the S&P 500 and the Dow.

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