Dow Ends Day Up 196

Stocks are closing solidly higher on Wall Street for the second day in a row, extending the market's gains for the week, the AP reports. Technology companies, which have continued to lead the market this year, contributed the most to the rally. Apple rose 1.4% and Facebook climbed 1.6%. Google's parent company, Alphabet, climbed 1.5%. CenturyLink jumped 7.5% after reporting earnings that were much higher than analysts were expecting. The S&P 500 index rose 25 points, or 0.9%, to 2,723. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 196 points, or 0.8%, to 24,739. The gain turned the Dow back to positive for the year. The Nasdaq composite increased 65 points, or 0.9%, to 7,404. (Read more stock market stories.)