US stocks rose on Tuesday as agriculture shares got a lift from M&A talk and after stronger-than-expected profits from retailers Wal-Mart and Home Depot. A glimmer of strength in the economy also buoyed investors after data showed growth in US industrial production, while the government's Producer Price Index eased deflation fears.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 136.23 points, or 1.32 percent, to 10,438.24. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 16.42 points, or 1.52 percent, to 1,095.80. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 34.02 points, or 1.56 percent, to 2,215.89.