Dow surges 669 points as trade war fears cool

The Dow surged 669 points — its third-biggest point gain in history — and had its best day in two and a half years. Investors were cheered by signs that the United States and China are talking behind the scenes to avoid a clash between the world's two biggest economies. It was a sharp reversal after the stock market's worst week in two years. The Nasdaq gained 3.3% and the S&P 500 climbed 2.7%. The Dow's gain of 2.8% was its biggest since August 2015. The only bigger point gains on record were in October 2008, during the financial crisis.