Dow Jones Industrial Average Tacks on 165 Points

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed another low-volume day in the black, with the big-cap index bolstered by Caterpillar Inc.'s (NYSE:CAT) 4.9% surge. Sparking the risk-on attitude was a better-than-expected third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) revision, as well as rising crude futures. In fact, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude traded above its globally traded Brent counterpart for the first time since January. 

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• Option traders are putting their faith behind these 4 energy stocks.
• How one investor wagered over $200,000 after this retail name shook up its C-suite. 
• GoPro Inc's  (NASDAQ:GPRO) big announcement made quite the impact on Wall Street. 
• Plus ... Elon Musk's first, a biotech to watch, and Facebook makes an exclusive list. 
  

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA - 17,417.27) added to its gains as the day went on, picking up 165.7 points, or 1%. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was the only Dow component to close lower, as the tech titan dropped 0.1%. CAT's 4.9% gain marked the top spot. 

The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 2,038.97) added 17.8 points, or 0.9%. The Nasdaq Composite (COMP - 5,001.11) closed with a 32.2-point, or 0.7% lead, and reclaimed the 5,000 level in the process. 

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX - 16.60) dropped 2.1 points, or 11.2%.

5 Items on Our Radar Today:

1. Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched an unmanned rocket that was able to land back on Earth for the first time. It's an attempt by the billionaire to create reusable rockets that can be improved and refurbished after their initial launch. (Fox News)

2. The final reading for third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) was revised down to 2.0% growth from 2.1%. A greater trade deficit and a smaller-than-forecast build in business inventories were the main contributors to the downward revision. (MarketWatch) 

3. The rallying biotech stock with "huge potential." 

4. Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) erased early gains, despite two key announcements. 

5. How Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) wound up making this exclusive list. 

Data courtesy of Trade-Alert

Commodities:

Oil futures ended higher today, with WTI trading above Brent futures for the first time since January. At the close, oil dated for February delivery added 33 cents, or 0.9%, to close at $36.14 per barrel. 

Gold gave back some of its recent gains today as equities moved higher. February-dated gold futures sank $6.50, or 0.6%, to land at $1,074.10 an ounce.