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.

Stocks jumped on Thursday after China said it wished to resolve its protracted trade dispute with the world’s largest economy with a “calm” attitude.

By midday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading 350 points higher, or 1.4 percent. The S&P 500 gained 1.3 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.5 percent.

“There’s a talk scheduled for today at a different level,” President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News Radio, without elaborating.

“Let’s see what the end product is; that’s what you have to judge it by,” Trump said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied more than 1% on Thursday, buoyed by gains in the trade-sensitive technology and industrial sectors as China expressed hope on trade negotiations with the United States, easing concerns that rising tensions could stoke a recession.

China’s commerce ministry said both sides are discussing the next round of talks scheduled for September, but progress would be determined by whether Washington could create favorable conditions.