Monday Afternoon Business Brief

• Wall Street is seeing a strong advance for stocks today. The Dow has risen more than 150 points.
• Two reports on the housing market today include "up" arrows. The National Association of Realtors says sales of previously-occupied homes rose 2.1 percent last month. And, the home builders' trade group says builder sentiment continues to gain ground.
• Credit reporting agency TransUnion says Americans were using their credit cards more often in the third quarter. At the same time, they were being less diligent about making payments on time.
• Apple shares, badly battered since hitting a peak in mid-September, are up more than 5 percent today. One analyst calls the recent sell-off in the shares "insanely insane."
• Fishing nations have agreed to maintain strict limits on catching Atlantic Bluefin tuna. In so doing, they have overruled fierce opposition from critics who argue that the key sushi ingredient is on the rebound.

Read other business stories on the Back To Business page.