Stocks jump after Fed announcement On the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Spencer Platt / Getty Images / December 12, 2012 December 12, 2012, 10:27 a.m. NEW YORK -- Stocks jumped after the Federal Reserve said it would keep interest rates low as long as the unemployment rate stays above 6.5%. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 65 points, or 0.5%, to 13,314 in midday trading. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 10 points, or 0.7%, to 1,438. The technology-heavy Nasdaq rose 6 points, or 0.2%, to 3,028. The Fed also announced it would spend $45 billion a month buying Treasury bonds to keep long-term rates low. The central bank has embarked on large-scale bond buying as a way to lure investors into riskier assets such as stocks. What's behind the rage in the air? Google+ Hangout