Wall Street has finished with a big advance after the government and Ford Motor Co. issued reports that helped reinject optimism about the economy into the market.

Investors sent stocks higher after the Labor Department said weekly unemployment claims dropped, while Ford posted stronger-than-expected results. Oil and other commodities prices fell as the dollar rose, also boosting stocks.

The Dow Jones industrial average has ended the day up about 85 points at the 12,848 level.

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