ETFs Post Broad-Based Gains

Stocks took a bounce and turned it into a rally in Thursday trading after a parade of positive earnings results. Positive momentum kept driving shares, pushing up broad indexed exchange-traded funds. Dow component General Electric (GE) kept a high profile after being upgraded by Goldman Sachs (GS) to Buy from Neutral.

Major indexes faded off triple-digit gains at midday, but reversed back-to-back weak sessions as a new batch of earnings releases hit the markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 84 at 9154. The Nasdaq picked up 17 points to rise to 1984 and the S&P 500 was up 12 to 987.

In corporate news, Sony (SNE) posted a smaller-than-expected loss and said it hopes to break even during the fiscal year. Exxon Mobil (XOM) earnigns fell 66% from the year-ago quarter, the Travelers Companies (TRV) raised its outlook even as earnings fell 21%, and MasterCard (MA) swung to a profit. Disney (DIS) reports after the close. For a detailed rundown on Thursday s trading session see our market story.

Winners

A pop in gasoline prices topped off shares of the United States Gasoline Fund (UGA), which rose 7.6%. The SPDR S&P Emerging Europe ETF (GUR) rose 5.5% as a bounce-back in emerging markets lifted a number of regional funds.

Losers

Thursday's big swing was bad news for the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index fund (VXX), which fell 2.6%. Betting against the S&P 500 was the wrong call, as shares of the Short S&P 500 ProShares fund (SH) dropped 1.1%

Friday s Notebook

Earnings and Conference Calls
Allergan, Anglogold Ashanti, AutoNation, Belo, Calpine, Chevron, Constellation Energy, DryShips, Eldorado Gold, HMS Holdings, ITT, Johnson Outdoors, Lafarge, MDC Holdings, NorthStar Realty Finance, Snap-on Inc., Washington Post Co., Weyerhaeuser

Economic Data
8:30 a.m. GDP
9:45 a.m. Chicago PMI

A look at how the industry's most popular ETFs did on Thursday:

10 Largest ETFs
SymbolNet AssetsPrice52 Week High52 Week LowVolume
SPY 63,73998.67130.768.13224,692,376
EFA 29,39249.6567.3732.1619,154,452
EEM 28,44935.6143.1619.1290,145,370
GLD 33,65591.6297.2470.146,243,946
IVV 18,33798.95130.9268.243,257,828
QQQQ 14,02539.5748.3225.51108,351,658
IWF 9,47943.855.4530.492,813,698
SHY 7,04483.558582.65774,147
VTI 10,25849.7765.5633.752,053,966
IWD 7,06850.8670.6434.222,921,388

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