MARKETWATCH

Stocks rose sharply, as third-quarter earnings reports continued to come in above analysts' expectations. Some examples: Compaq's profits soared 88%; aircraft maker Northrop Grumman's earnings rose 50%; and AMR, the parent of American Airlines, reported a 74% profit gain. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 18.50 points, to 3936.04, on heavy trading (319 million shares on the NYSE). The S&P 500 climbed 2.62, to 470.28. NASDAQ stocks jumped 5.81, to 770.62. Bond prices declined, meanwhile, as the yield on the benchmark 30-year Treasury rose to 7.90% from 7.87%. The price of gold rose $1.35, to $391.10, in London trading.