Healthcare leads Wall Street higher

By IBTimes Staff Reporter | January 19 2010 12:48 PM

The S&P 500 index rose more than 1 percent on Tuesday, led by gains in healthcare stocks ahead of a crucial election for a U.S. senate seat, which could decide the future of the healthcare reform currently being discussed in Congress.

Sponsorship Link

Even with the discussed versions of the reform seen as investor-friendly by market participants, analysts and traders agree that blocking a reform could be mildly positive for health stocks.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 95.08 points, or 0.90 percent, to 10,704.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 11.19 points, or 0.99 percent, to 1,147.22. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 26.16 points, or 1.14 percent, to 2,314.15.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos)