U.S. stocks close higher

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 237.96 points, or 0.48 percent, to 49,504.07. The S&P 500 added 44.82 points, or 0.65 percent, to 6,966.28. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 191.33 points, or 0.81 percent, to 23,671.35.