US STOCKS-Earnings optimism lifts Wall Street

* Caterpillar jumps after broker comments

* Gannett rises after results beat expectations

* For up-to-the-minute market news, click [STXNEWS/US] (Updates to late afternoon, changes byline)

By Rodrigo Campos

NEW YORK, Oct 19 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied on Monday, extending a two-week run-up as better-than expected corporate earnings increased investors' optimism.

Earnings from companies, including Gannett Co Inc , which beat analysts' expectations, and positive broker commentary on Caterpillar Inc further encouraged investors looking for confirmation the economy is healing.

"So far three out of four earnings have been better than expected, no real horror stories, and at this point (the advance) looks set to continue," said Frank Lesh, broker and futures analyst with Future Path Trading in Chicago.

"We still got a couple more weeks to go (in earnings). But so far, so good. The market is telling us to be long and stay long."

As of Monday, 62 companies in the S&P 500 had reported earnings, with 79 percent above analysts' expectations, according to data compiled by Thomson Reuters.

Earnings season heats up this week, with 13 Dow components and 135 S&P 500 companies set to report.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 112.76 points, or 1.13 percent, to 10,108.67. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 11.54 points, or 1.06 percent, to 1,099.22. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 19.28 points, or 0.89 percent, to 2,176.08.

Monday's rally occurred on the 22nd anniversary of Black Monday, as Oct. 19, 1987, is known, which was the day the Dow industrials fell more than 22 percent -- still the largest daily percentage drop on record.

Caterpillar led the Dow, gaining 5.6 percent to $57.62 after Bank of America-Merrill Lynch raised its price target to $65 from $52 and increased its 2010 and 2011 earnings per share expectations, citing a faster recovery in machinery revenue next year. Caterpillar is set to report results on Tuesday.

Gannett Co Inc jumped 7.9 percent to $14.03 after the largest U.S. newspaper publisher posted lower quarterly profit, but still beat expectations amid cost cutting. For details, see [ID:nN19342465]

Diversified manufacturer Eaton Corp rose 5.8 percent to $63.92 after it reported profit that beat estimates and said it saw early signs of recovery in its markets. [ID:nN19314996]

In other news, the Market Vector Agribusiness ETF gained 3.3 percent, with U.S.-traded shares of Potash Corp of Saskatchewan up 7.1 percent to $104.31 after a research report speculated miner BHP Billiton could afford offering a 30 percent premium to acquire the Canadian fertilizer maker. [ID:nN19132987].

Home builders' shares slid, with the Dow Jones home construction index <.DJUSHB> down 1.6 percent.

Frank Husic, managing partner and chief investment officer at Husic Capital Management in San Francisco, said the home building sector's shares were hurt by concerns the current $8,000 tax credit to first-time home buyers, which expires on Nov. 30, would not be extended. For related news see [ID:nN19352218].

Shares of KB Home dropped 2.7 percent to $15.40.

The technology sector will be in focus after the closing bell, as bellwethers Apple Inc and Texas Instruments Inc will post their quarterly scorecards.

"There is anticipation that we're going to get better-than-expected top- and bottom-line results from some companies like Apple," said Joe Arsenio, president of Arsenio Capital Management in Larkspur, California. (Editing by Jan Paschal)