U.S. markets post solid gains

U.S. markets cleared away early losses and headed higher Thursday after central banks in Europe reinvigorated markets overseas. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong surged 5.67 percent, while Australia's S&P/ASX index jumped 3.65 percent. Those numbers were in before the European Central Bank said it would maintain its lending rate at 1.5 percent and initiate a $53 billion bond purchasing program. The Bank of England, in turn, said it would keep its rate at 0.5 percent and expand its qualitative easing policy with an additional commitment of $116 billion. By close of trading on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average added 183.38 points, 1.68 percent, to 11,123.33. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 20.93 points, 1.83 percent, to 1,164.97. The Nasdaq composite index gained 46.31 points, 1.88 percent to 2,506.82. On the New York Stock Exchange, 2,609 stock advanced and 471 declined on a volume of 5 billion shares traded. The benchmark 10-year treasury note fell 30/32 to yield 1.999 percent. The euro rose to $1.3434 from Wednesday's $1.3348. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 76.67 yen from Wednesday's 76.79 yen. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index added 1.66 percent, 139.04 points, to 8,522.02. In London, the FTSE 100 index added 3.71 percent, 189.09 to 5,291.26.