US STOCKS-Tech stocks extend Wall St rally on stimulus hopes

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* Apple jumps ahead of Tuesday event
* Twitter rises after DB upgrades to "buy"
* White House calls for limited COVID-19 relief bill
* Indexes up: Dow 0.64%, S&P 1.03%, Nasdaq 1.57%

(Adds comment, details; Updates prices)
By Medha Singh
Oct 12 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes rose for a
fourth straight session on Monday, helped by a tech boost and on
optimism that Washington would reach a deal over more fiscal
support, with investors also gearing up for the third-quarter
corporate earnings season.
Apple Inc AAPL.O was a major support for the three main
stock indexes with a 3.6% gain ahead of a special event on
Tuesday, which most analysts believe will be used to unveil the
new iPhone with 5G capabilities. Amazon.com Inc AMZN.O climbed 3.5% ahead of its annual
Prime Day shopping event on Oct. 13 and 14.
The Trump administration on Sunday called on Congress to
pass a stripped-down coronavirus relief bill as negotiations on
a broader package ran into resistance. "The widening lead for the Democrats lessens the likelihood
of a disputed election result and increases the odds of a bigger
stimulus package and infrastructure spending in 2021," said Marc
Chaikin, founder of Philadelphia-based investment research firm
Chaikin Analytics.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Americans were steadily
losing confidence in President Donald Trump's handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic, with his net approval on the issue hitting a
record low. Growing expectations of a Democratic win in next month's
presidential election have also helped Wall Street's main
indexes climb to one-month highs as a victory for Democratic
nominee Joe Biden could ease the trade war with China and
resulting tariff pressures on the U.S. economy.
With the Oct. 15 presidential debate officially canceled,
Trump plans to travel to key battleground states this week as
his doctor declared he was no longer a transmission risk for the
novel coronavirus. Results from big U.S. banks will be in focus this week, with
JPMorgan & Co JPM.N and Citigroup C.N set to report on
Tuesday. Bank shares .SPXBK gained 0.7%.
Overall, analysts expect third-quarter earnings for S&P 500
companies to have fallen 20.7% from a year earlier, smaller than
a 30.6% slump in the second quarter.
At 10:49 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI
was up 181.99 points, or 0.64%, at 28,768.89, the S&P 500 .SPX
was up 35.66 points, or 1.03%, at 3,512.79, and the Nasdaq
Composite .IXIC was up 181.30 points, or 1.57%, at 11,761.24.
Technology .SPLRCT and consumer discretionary .SPLRCD
stocks climbed the most among major S&P sectors. The energy
index .SPNY was the weak spot, as oil prices dropped on easing
supply worries. O/R
Twitter Inc TWTR.N gained 5.2% after Deutsche Bank
upgraded the social media firm's shares to "buy" on expectations
of continued growth in 2021.
Ford Motor Co F.N jumped 7.8% following brokerage
Benchmark's upgrade.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 1.44-to-1 ratio
on the NYSE and a 1.53-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P index recorded 61 new 52-week highs and no new low,
while the Nasdaq recorded 138 new highs and seven new lows.