Tuesday business briefs

Stocks surge sharply

on upbeat earnings data

Signs of a strengthening economy gave investors a surge of optimism and sent stocks sharply higher Tuesday. The Dow Jones industrials soared almost 170 points on upbeat earnings reports and corporate deals. The dollar fell as investors felt less need to stash their money in safer investments. Oil and other commodities joined stocks as the beneficiaries of the market's renewed confidence. The Dow rose 169.67 points, or 1.7 percent, to 10,268.81. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 19.36, or 1.8 percent, to 1,094.87, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 30.66, or 1.4 percent, to 2,214.19.- AP