Marts gain

The S&P 500 gained 1.3 percent to 1,103.32 and jumped 2.7 percent over the past two days. The Dow Jones indus trial average climbed 111.32, or 1.1 percent, to 10,296.85. The Nasdaq rose 18.86 to 2,190.06.

Home sales

The number of con tracts to buy previously owned US homes was little changed in De cember. The index of purchase agreements, or pending home sales, rose 1 percent after a 16 percent drop in No vember that was the largest since records began in 2001, the Na tional Association of Realtors announced.

PNC payback

PNC Financial Serv ices Group plans to pay back $7.6 billion to the government, raising most of the money by selling its investment servicing unit to Bank of New York Mellon and by issuing stock. As part of the agreement it will sell its Global In vestment Servicing unit for $2.31 billion and sell $3 billion of stock.

Cable guy

Cablevision Systems announced the appoint ment of Charles R. Schueler as executive vice president, commu nications and commu nity relations