The equities markets in New York were up sharply on Tuesday after the Labor Day holiday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.4 percent to 10,565.12, the Nasdaq composite was up 1.2 percent to 2,166.86, and the S&P 500 advanced by 1.3 percent to 1,233.40.

For the S&P, it was the largest percentage rise in a day since April 21. Every sector within the S&P saw gains on the day, with the real estate and retail sectors each up by over 2.3 percent.

Even the energy sector was up 0.7 percent. The energy sector did not see gains across the board as Dynergy fell by 3.1 percent to $4.36, but Valero Energy gained 0.9 percent to $109.41.

Among retailers, Dollar General was up 1.2 percent to $18.41, Target gained 1.5 percent to $53.96, and Wal-Mart, which had been declining recently on the effect of high oil prices and the concerns they raised about consumer spending, added 2.6 percent to $45.69. Still, Wal-Mart remains off its highs of the past year by 21 percent.

Elsewhere, Home Depot was up 3.4 percent to $41.71 on the belief that the need for rebuilding and repairs after Hurricane Katrina would increase sales for the home improvement retailer. In another sector affected by the storm, Tenet Healthcare fell by 0.6 percent to $11.93 as it continued to evacuate patients and staff from six hospitals in the region.