Investing.com - A trio of Dow components help push the broader market higher early Wednesday after posting strong quarterly numbers.
The Dow Jones jumped 0.9% at 9:32 AM ET (14:32 GMT), while the S&P 500 gained 0.52%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 0.57%.
IBM (NYSE:IBM) got the blue-chip party started after the bell Tuesday, beating on the top and bottom lines and issuing above-consensus guidance. Shares jumped 7%.
Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) rose 6% as the company lifted its forecast for full-year organic sales.
And United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) forecast 2019 earnings above estimates. The stock gained 6.1%.
Today’s gains follow Wall Street's more-than-1% loss on Tuesday as worries about slowing global growth came to the fore after a gloomy economic outlook from the International Monetary Fund, signs of further cooling in China's economy and mixed reports on U.S.-China trade talks.
Still, the benchmark S&P 500 is about 10% away from its record closing high on Sept. 20.
Corporate earnings continued to dictate early trading given the rather empty economic calendar due to the partial government shutdown. A vote is reportedly scheduled in the Senate Thursday on Democratic and Republican plans to end the shutdown, but chances of either passing are slim.
Among other active stocks, in the broadcast space Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) rose 4.2% after the company reported fourth-quarter results that topped expectations as Internet subscribers surged. And Viacom (NASDAQ:VIA) stock gained 0.75% after the company confirmed that it would pay $340 million to acquire Pluto TV.
In financials, Capital One (NYSE:COF) slid 4.8% after the company reported quarterly profit that came in well below consensus.
-- Reuters contributed to this report.