Stocks end higher; Alaska Air soars

Stocks end higher as bullish signals grow; Alaska Air soars on revenue forecast

7/9/2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this Monday, July 8, 2013 photo, traders Joel Lucchese, left, and Michael Urkonis confer on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Asian stock markets rebounded and European shares continued a global rally Tuesday July 9, 2013 following positive U.S. economic news as nervousness about an imminent scaling back of the Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus eased. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
In this Monday, July 8, 2013 photo, traders Joel Lucchese, left, and Michael Urkonis confer on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Asian stock markets rebounded and European shares continued a global rally Tuesday July 9, 2013 following positive U.S. economic news as nervousness about an imminent scaling back of the Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus eased. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK — The stock market is ending higher as traders buy companies that fare best when the economic outlook is bright.

All major stocks indexes rose today, but gains were led by the riskier parts of the market. Those advances suggest that investors are more confident about the economy’s prospects.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 75 points to 15,300. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 11 points to 1,652. The Nasdaq composite rose 19 points to 3,504

The Russell 2000, an index of small company stocks, rose eight points to 1,018. It has gained 4.2 percent in July and is at record levels.

The Dow Jones transportation index rose on strong gains for Alaska Air Group and FedEx. That index is seen as a leading indicator for the broader economy.