Home prices surged 10.9% in March to boost the markets to a sharply higher open with the Dow leaping 200 points to 15,503. Nasdaq soared 51 points to 3510.
On the upside
Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) narrowed first quarter losses even as revenue dropped.
Capstone Turbine (Nasdaq: CPST) received a major order to install microturbines in office buildings, apartments and mixed-use properties for a global real estate and investment firm.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX) will acquire Bausch & Lomb in a deal valued at approximately $8.7 billion.
On the downside
Deutsche Bank downgraded Exelon (NYSE: EXC) from a Buy rating to a Hold rating.
Investors locked in profits on Ziopharm Oncology (Nasdaq: ZIOP).
The capacity price in the northern Ohio territory of FirstEnergy (NYSE: FL) plunged to $114 per megawatt from $357 per megawatt last year.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 4 to 1 on the NYSE and by nearly 6 to 1 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 index surged 22 points to 1672.
