Aeropostale Skyrockets On Dec. Sales, Massive Rally on Wall Street

U.S. stocks surged higher on Wall Street with the Dow up 300 points in midday trading Thursday. All the major benchmarks are boosted on the belief the Federal Reserve won't be in a rush to raise interest rates. Investors are also getting a better idea on how lower oil prices helped consumer spending as retailers release December monthly sales. Costco (COST) reported a 3% increase in same-store sales. Teen retailers, Urban Outfitters (URBN) and Aeropostale (ARO) rose after reporting decent holiday shopping results. Aeropostale is the big gainer in the session, up almost 20%. Barnes and Noble (BKS) is up 5% on December same-store sales jumping 1.7%.