U.S. stock rally lifts S&P 500 above 5-year high

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U.S. stock rally lifts S&P 500 above 5-year high
from MarketWatch.com - MarketPulse
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stock gains on Thursday propelled the S&P 500 index to its highest finish since December 2007 as upbeat jobs and housing reports offered respite from politics and other concerns. "The fact that housing is so robust is really good, and jobless claims were a lot lower than expected," said David Kelly, chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds. Both data points "show an economy with a fair amount of momentum going into the new year, and that's positive," he added. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 84.79 points, or 0.6%, to 13,596.02. The S&P 500 index climbed 8.3 points, or 0.6%, to 1,480.93. The Nasdaq Composite added 18.46 points, or 0.6%, to 3,136.