Stocks Climb After Stronger GDP Report

US stocks are finishing higher, led by technology and health care companies, retail and travel firms, and banks, as investors cheered a report of stronger economic growth. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the economy grew 3% in the second quarter, more than it previously estimated. Big names helped lead the way. Microsoft rose 1.3% and Amazon gained 1.4%. Bank of America rose 1.7% as financial companies advanced. Bond prices declined and high-yielding stocks like utilities and household goods makers lagged the rest of the market. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 11 points, or 0.5%, to 2,457, the AP reports. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 27 points, or 0.1%, to 21,892. The Nasdaq composite climbed 66 points, or 1.1%, to 6,368. (More stock market stories.)