Fall in UK shoppers looking for Boxing Day bargains

A placard advertises the discount available in a shop as last-minute shoppers finish up their Christmas gift lists at the Outlet Malls in Castle Rock Monday, Dec. 24, 2018, in Castle Rock, Colo. Retailers were offering ample discounts plus even more price cuts to those shoppers who ventured out with the holiday looming. [Photo: AP]

US stocks surged on Wednesday, recovering much of their losses from a Christmas Eve plunge and placing the market on track for its best day in nine months.

The Dow-Jones Index closed up more than 1,000 points in the best day for Wall Street in 10 years as stocks rally back from the Christmas Eve beating.

Gains in technology companies, retailers, health care and internet stocks drove the broad rally, which gave the benchmark S&P 500 index some breathing room after it slid on Monday to just shy of what Wall Street calls a bear market - a 20 per cent fall from an index's peak.

Energy stocks gained the most as oil prices notched their biggest gain in more than two years.

Trading volume was lighter than usual following the Christmas holiday.

Markets in Europe, Hong Kong and Australia were closed.