Wall Street rallies as battered investors eye support

Wall Street posted solid gains on Thursday as higher oil prices reduced fears that banks could be hit by debt defaults and investors saw opportunities after weeks of volatility. The second uptick in two days for stocks was helped by a 3-percent jump in oil, which has been a major influence on markets this year as investors view weak energy demand as a sign of sluggish global growth. The S&P 500 has recovered 6 percent in the past nine sessions but remains down almost 5 percent in 2016 as oil