Wall Street gains as bank earnings boost confidence

U.S. stocks were higher in morning trading on Friday, boosted by bank stocks after better-then-expected quarterly profits from Bank of America, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan, which bode well for the rest of the earnings season. Bank of America jumped 2.1 percent to $23.41, their highest since the financial crisis. JPMorgan surged 2.2 percent at a record high of $88.17 and Wells Fargo gained 3.1 percent to $56.20.