The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI) led the way higher, gaining over 450 points, or about 1.1%. The S&P 500 ( ^GSPC) gained 0.5%, and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC) pared earlier losses to finish just above the flat line.

Nvidia earnings hit after the close. Investors are buckling up for a busy stretch. Looking at the chip maker’s results since 2014, the trading session after the release has typically proven lucrative,

"There were some warning signs from Target, but if you look at personal income and retail sales, they have been strong all year," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities, in an interview. "That suggests the consumer has buying power."

Wall Street is on track to open with gains following another strong earnings report from chipmaker Nvidia even if it didn't meet the sky-high expectations of investors. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.

Target’s stock was down more than 20% in afternoon trading, compared with a 0.6% decline for the S&P 500 index, according to FactSet data, at last check. The S&P 500’s consumer-staples sector was slumping 0.4% on Wednesday afternoon.