: Dow rises sharply as U.S. stocks pick up steam heading toward closing bell

U.S. stock-market gains are accelerating heading towards the closing bell, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average trading sharply higher. The Dow DJIA was up 350 points, or 1.1%, in late afternoon trading, according to FactSet data, at last check. If the Dow closes at that level, it would be its first back-to-back 1% gains since November 2022, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 SPX was up a sharp 1.5% in Friday afternoon trading, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite COMP jumped 1.9%, FactSet data show, at last check. 

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