NEW YORK, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 65.88 points, or 0.14 percent, to 47,951.85. The S&P 500 added 53.33 points, or 0.79 percent, to 6,774.76. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 313.04 points, or 1.38 percent, to close at 23,006.36.
Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended higher, with consumer discretionary and communication services leading the gainers by rising 1.78 percent and 1.48 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy and consumer staples led the laggards by dropping 1.42 percent and 0.68 percent, respectively.
