NEW YORK — A bit of good news was all it took to break a weeklong slump in the stock market. A report that U.S. exports hit a record in April sent stocks sharply higher Thursday as investors hoped the economic recovery may not be as sluggish as the last week of grim economic reports have suggested.

Trade levels factor into calculations of economic growth. Thursday’s number could add half a percentage point or more to the government’s estimate of second-quarter gross domestic product, said Anthony Chan, chief economist for JPMorgan Private Wealth.