NEW YORK (AP) ? Stocks are rebounding after a steep two-day drop ahead of a press conference by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and a meeting of international leaders in France.
Investors are waiting to hear Wednesday if the Fed will announce any further moves to stimulate the economy. Leaders of the G-20 nations are meeting in France and will discuss the next steps in the simmering Greek debt crisis.
A bump up in hiring by private companies and stronger corporate earnings from MasterCard and JDS Uniphase also pushed stock indexes higher.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 196 points, or 1.7 percent, to 11,856. The S&P 500 rose 22, or 1.8 percent, to 1,240. The Nasdaq composite gained 35, or 1.3 percent, to 2,642.
