Stocks Rally as Data Show Economy Is Holding Up

What You Need To Know

• The S&P 500 rose about 1.5%. Walmart Inc. — a barometer of growth — jumped on a solid outlook.
• U.S. officials have been trying to use higher rates to ease inflation without causing the economy to contract.
• The largest unwind in U.S. equities since the Covid-19 pandemic is over, and now trend-following quant funds are ready to return to the stock market.