SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Tech stocks started the year with strong gains Wednesday, joining in a broad-market rally fueled by enthusiasm over a fiscal cliff deal between President Obama and Congress. Advancers included Hewlett-Packard Co. , up 8.5%, Apple Inc. , which rose 4% and Seagate Technology , up more than 5%. The Nasdaq Composite Index surged by 81 points, or 2.7%, to 3,099, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index climbed 3.5%.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.