The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):
9:35 a.m.
Stocks are off to a solid start on Wall Street as health care and industrial companies rise.
Pfizer added 1.5 percent in early trading Thursday and General Electric jumped 10.3 percent after JPMorgan said it removed it from a list of stocks it was concerned about.
Aflac rose 6 percent after confirming that Japan Post Holdings was interested in taking a stake in the company.
The S&P 500 index gained 16 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,667.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 140 points, or 0.6 percent, to 24,666. The Nasdaq rose 48 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,146.
Oil prices fell and bond yields held steady.