U.S. stock indexes moved sharply higher in midday trading Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 key stocks is up 1.8 percent, with the broader S&P 500 advancing 2 percent. The technology-laden NASDAQ is ahead by 2.5 percent.

European stocks closed higher.

London's Financial Times index ended up seven-tenths of one percent to finish at 5,129. The CAC 40 in Paris closed ahead 1.1 percent to end at 3,084. The DAX index in Frankfurt also advanced 1.1 percent to close at 5,532.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index gained nearly one and one-quarter percent to finish at 8,733. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 2 percent to finish the day's trading at 19,876.

Gold is trading down $32.68 at $1,864.78 an ounce.

The dollar is trading lower against both the yen and euro.