U.S. stocks closed sharply higher on Thursday, with the Dow finishing at its highest level in about two months, a day before a flurry of banks are due to report quarterly earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA rose about 383 points, or 1.1%, ending near 34,030, its highest close since Feb. 14, according to FactSet data. The S&P 500 index SPX jumped 1.3% and the Nasdaq Composite Index finished up 2%. There were more signs of easing inflation pressures on Thursday, reinforcing the downward trend seen earlier in the week with a cooling consumer-price index for March. Investors have been hoping the Federal Reserve…
