U.S. stocks close higher

NEW YORK, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 47.37 points, or 0.12 percent, to 38,996.39. The S&P 500 added 26.51 points, or 0.52 percent, to 5,096.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 144.18 points, or 0.90 percent, to 16,091.92.