Tech Companies Lead US Indexes Higher

Stocks are closing higher on Wall Street as technology companies rose following a recent bout of weakness, the AP reports. Apple jumped 2.4% Thursday, a day after putting out its new lineup of iPhones, and chipmaker Qualcomm rose 4% after announcing a big stock buyback program. Stock indexes in Turkey and other emerging markets rose after the Turkish central bank raised interest rates sharply in response to the nation's currency crisis. The Turkish lira strengthened against other currencies. Kroger plunged 10% after the supermarket chain reported disappointing results. The S&P 500 index rose 15 points, or 0.5%, to 2,904. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 147 points, or 0.6%, to 26,145. The Nasdaq composite gained 59 points, or 0.7%, to 8,013. Small-company stocks fell. (More stock market stories.)