Stocks rose sharply today as hopes for a resolution of the Microsoft...

Stocks rose sharply today as hopes for a resolution of the Microsoft antitrust case outweighed bad news about consumer spending and manufacturing. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 188.76, or 2.08%, at 9,263.90; the S&P 500 rose 24.32, or 2.29%, closing at 1,084.10; and the Nasdaq composite was up 56.10, or 3.32%, ending at 1,746.30. All numbers are preliminary.