US Close 1 Jan 16: US markets surprise to the upside overnight

US sharemarkets were higher in a choppy session on Thursday. The energy sector was boosted by higher oil prices. Investors digested earnings news and assessed the outlook for interest rates. Shares in Abbott Labs fell 9.3% on a disappointing earnings outlook and the fall reverberated across the healthcare sector.  At the close of trade the Dow Jones index was up by 125 points or 0.8% with the S&P 500 up by 0.6% while the Nasdaq lifted by 38.5 points or 0.9%.

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