Dow closes more than 300 points higher as China tamps down fears of trade-war escalation

U.S. stocks posted strongest gains Thursday after Beijing indicated it wasn’t in a rush to respond to the latest round of tariffs imposed by Washington.

How did the major benchmarks faring?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +1.25% advanced 326.15 points, or 1.3%, to end at 26,362.25, while the S&P 500 index SPX, +1.27% rose 36.64 points, or 1.3%, to finish at 2,924.58. The Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, +1.48% added 116.51 points, or 1.5%, to close at 7,973.39.

This week’s rebound has slashed month-to-date losses for the major indexes,...