Caterpillar, Merck share gains lead Dow’s 86-point jump

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is climbing Friday morning with shares of Caterpillar and Merck delivering strong returns for the blue-chip average. The Dow
DJIA,
-0.29%
was most recently trading 86 points (0.3%) higher, as shares of Caterpillar
CAT,
-0.01%
and Merck
MRK,
+1.28%
have contributed to the index’s intraday rally. Caterpillar’s shares have gained $3.97 (1.9%) while those of Merck are up $2.01, or 1.8%, combining for an approximately 39-point bump for the Dow. Other components contributing significantly to the gain include Cisco
CSCO,
+1.90%,
Chevron
CVX,
+0.73%,
and Travelers
TRV,
+0.18%.
A $1 move in any one of the 30 components of the index results in a 6.59-point swing.