U.S. markets rose Thursday on preliminary indications the government would continue to support General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.
How President Barack Obama's automotive task force will handle additional loans is still up in the air, The Wall Street Journal reported. But, an announcement of additional support for the auto industry is expected soon.
In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 30.19 points, or 0.39 percent, to 7,780.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 0.5 percent, 4.03 points, to 817.91. The Nasdaq composite index added 20.03 points, 1.31 percent, to 1,548.98.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bond rose 4/32 to yield 2.786 percent.
The euro fell to $1.3536, compared to Wednesday's $1.3597. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar rose to 98.54 yen, compared to Wednesday's 97.43 yen.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei average gained 156.34 points to 8,636.33, up 1.84 percent.
