MARKETWATCH

Stocks soared Tuesday in heavy trading, powered by a slew of strong corporate earnings reports and falling bond yields. A sampler of good news: Union Corp., the nation's ninth largest banking company, reported that third-quarter profits increased 24% from a year ago; Pepsico, fueled by improved performance in its soft drink and snack foods divisions, posted an 18% hike in earnings. As a result, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 55.51 points to 3876.83. The S&P 500 rose nearly seven points to 465.79. NASDAQ shares rose 8.76 to 765.751. Bond prices rallied on rumors that the Feds were inclined -- at least for the time being -- to hold back on further interest rate hikes. The yield on benchmark 30-year Treasury issue fell to 7.87%. The price of gold fell dramatically, by $3.10 to $387.60 in New York trading.