U.S. stocks close higher

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.