US stocks rally

Wall Street rallied on a burst of optimism today as the multibillion-dollar buyout of HCA and upbeat earnings from drug manufacturers eased anxiety about an economic slowdown. The Dow Jones industrial average soared more than 180 points.

Acquisitions led the day’s headlines, with three equity firms agreeing to take hospital operator HCA private for 21.3 billion of cash and the assumption of 11.7 billion in debt, marking the largest leveraged buyout.