The Dow Jones Industrial Average marked fresh session highs Thursday afternoon, with markets closed in observance of Good Friday tomorrow, as components Apple Inc. and Boeing staged a late-morning rally. The Dow was most recently up 346 points, or 1.5%, at 24,194. Apple and Boeing Co. were delivering a roughly 80-point jolt to the price-weighted average. Shares of Microsoft Corp. also gained amid reports that it was undergoing a major reorganization. Technology shares have been under pressure for much of the abbreviated trading week, on the heels of worries surrounding Facebook Inc.’s handling of user data. However, Facebook’s shares [: FB] were rebounding up 4.5% on the day, underscoring a recovery for the sector which has seen some of its most prominent names tumble. The technology-laden Nasdaq Composite Index was up 1.9% at 7,080, while the S&P 500 index rallied 1.5% at 2,644. All three benchmarks were on track to book weekly gains. For the Dow, shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc. , up 2%, and Boeing Co. were helping lift the blue chips.
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