Markets Right Now: Stocks open broadly higher on Wall Street

NEW YORK (AP) – Stocks are opening broadly higher on Wall Street as the Republican-backed tax plan moves ahead.

Banks and technology companies posted some of the biggest gains early Monday. Akamai Technologies jumped 16 percent.

Snyder’s-Lance, which makes pretzels and other snack foods, rose 7 percent after agreeing to be acquired by Campbell Soup.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 18 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,694.

The Dow Jones industrials rose 220 points, or 0.9 percent, to 24,868. The Nasdaq rose 47 points, or 0.7 percent, to 6,983.