Nokia (NOK: chart) soared 6.5%, or $1.00, to $16.34, after posting double-digit 1Q growth and boosting earlier forecasts. The main competitor, Motorola (MOT: chart), the world's second largest seller of handsets, also reported better-than-expected earnings on growing sales and went up 5.2 percent, or 78 cents, at $15.71.

Archipelago (AX: chart) climbed 48%, or $8.99, at $27.75 on the Pacific Stock Exchange, a day after the New York Stock Exchange announced merger plans with its rival.

Web market place eBay Inc. (EBAY: chart) lost 78 cents to $32.33 even though the company posted better-than-expected earnings yesterday on growth in customers. The outlook for the rest of 2005 was also boosted.

Shares of software company VeriSign Inc. (VRSN: chart) climbed 11% to $28.50 on Inet after it reported that 1Q profit more than doubled.

After the closing bell on Thursday, Google Inc. (GOOG: chart) and Amgen Inc. (AMGN: chart) are slated to report earnings.

In early trading, the Dow Jones industrial average soared 104.19, or 1.04% to 10,116.55, climbing back after a 115-point fall on Wednesday.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index surged 11.18, or 0.98% at 1,148.68. The Nasdaq composite gained 23.05, or 1.20%.


Shares UP:

Archipelago was ahead $8.97, or 48%, to $27.85.
Merck was up 34 cents, or 1%, to 34.41
Nokia's ADS gained 95 cents, or 6.2%, to 16.29.
Time Warner advanced 38 cents to 17.31
Comcast was up 57 cents, or 2%, to 32.10.


Shares DOWN:

McDonald's dropped 31 cents to 29.63.
eBay shed 1.39, or 4.2%, to 31.72.