Stocks rose Thursday, as hopes for more stimulus from the Fed and upbeat housing data overshadowed concerns about the job market and mixed corporate earnings. As of Wednesday, nearly half of the companies in the S&P 500 have reported Q1 results, and 76% of them have beat expectations. There have been two clear leaders in financials and technology. After-hours, Amazon surged 14% on stronger-than-expected earnings. Economists polled by MarketWatch expect a 2.7% GDP growth in Q1, slightly slower than the 3.0% rate in Q1.
