S&P nears 1,600 boosted by data

Dow Jones, S&P gain around 1% each

US stocks rose on Thursday, with the S&P at a fresh intraday high, after strong job market data and on the ECB rate cut. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 119.57 points or 0.81 per cent, to 14,820.52, the S&P 500 gained 14.98 points or 0.95 per cent, to 1,597.68 and the Nasdaq Composite added 44.31 points or 1.34 per cent, to 3,343.44. The S&P fell almost 1 per cent Wednesday in its largest drop in two weeks.