U.S. stocks close higher

Alsharq Tribune-AFP 

 U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 229.71 points, or 0.52 percent, to 44,484.49. The S&P 500 added 33.66 points, or 0.54 percent, to 6,297.36. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 153.78 points, or 0.74 percent, to 20,884.27.

Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with financials and technology leading the gainers by rising 0.92 percent and 0.89 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, health and real estate led the laggards by falling 1.18 percent and 0.16 percent, respectively.