Nasdaq rallies more than 2.6% with tech gains

The Nasdaq rallied more than 2.6% at the closing bell Thursday with gains by technology companies. 

The tech-heavy index soared 322 points, or 2.69%, to close at 12,316.

Gaming retailer GameStop saw its stock jump 10% and ride-hailing firm Uber shares added 7.7%.

Netflix, Blackberry and Meta, formerly known as Facebook, each gained more than 5%.

The Dow was up 435 points, or 1.33%, to end the day at 33,248. The S&P 500 rose 75, or 1.84%, to finish at 4,176.

The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, was down 4.5% to 24.54.

The dollar index fell 0.7% to 101.79 and the 10-year US Treasury yield lost 0.3% to 2.922%.

Precious metals were strong, with gold adding 1.3% to $1,870 and silver rising 2.1% to $22.3.

Crude prices were also on the rise. Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading at $118.03 for a 1.5% gain, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $117.20 -- a 1.7% increase.