4.05pm: Nasdaq surges as much as 3%   US stocks finished the trading session sharply higher as investors shrugged off concerns over the new coronavirus (COVID-19) Omicron variant, which could be milder than feared. At the close, the Dow gained 493 points to 35,720, while the S&P 500 rose 95 points at 4,687 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 462 points to 15,687.
US stocks end sharply higher as Omicron variant risks ease