NEW YORK - US stocks ended higher on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 83.60 points, or 0.21 percent, to 40,752.96. The S&P 500 added 35.08 points, or 0.63 percent, to 5,604.14. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 264.40 points, or 1.52 percent, to 17,710.74.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with technology and communication services leading the gainers by rising 2.21 percent and 1.55 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, health and consumer staples led the laggards by going down 2.79 percent and 0.78 percent, respectively.