U.S. stocks close higher

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 235.06 points, or 0.58 percent, to 41,096.77. The S&P 500 added 41.63 points, or 0.75 percent, to 5,595.76. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 174.15 points, or 1.00 percent, to 17,569.68.

All of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with communication services and consumer discretionary leading the gainers by adding 2.01 percent and 1.15 percent, respectively. Real estate posted the weakest growth, up by 0.10 percent.