Afternoon Markets: Dow jumps 2% on economic optimism

An hour after opening, the index had advanced more than 215 points, or 2.18%, to 10,114.56, with every stock in the black. A flurry of economic data boosted optimism across the globe, with London's FTSE reversing earlier losses to gain 46 points, or 0.92%, to 5,133.77. In the US, data revealed the nation recorded a $40.3bn trade deficit last month, slightly narrower than the $41bn economists had projected. Elsewhere, officials said jobless claims fell 3,000 to 456,000 last week. Meanwhile, a report showed China's exports jumped almost 50% in May from a year earlier, the biggest gai...