Mumbai, Jan. 6 -- The Dow jumped 594.79 points (1.2%) to 48,977.18, the Nasdaq advanced 160.19 points (0.7%) to 23,395.82 and the S&P 500 climbed 43.58 points (0.6%) to 6,902.05.

The Dow's sharp gain was driven in part by a 5.1% surge in Chevron (CVX) shares, as the energy giant rallied following a U.S. attack on Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Crude oil prices spiked on the news, lifting oil service stocks and pushing the Philadelphia Oil Service Index up 5.5% amid optimism about prospects for rebuilding Venezuela's oil infrastructure. Gold stocks also advanced strongly as investors turned to the metal's safe-haven appeal during heightened geopolitical tensions.

Broader market strength extended to fi...