 "Dow, S&P 500 post 2014's biggest one-day percentage gain")
US stocks rose the most so far this year on Thursday after a drop in applications for unemployment insurance boosted confidence in the economy, and as Disney's results overshot expectations.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 187.14 points or 1.21%, to 15,627.37, the S&P 500 gained 21.76 points or 1.24%, to 1,773.4 and the Nasdaq Composite added 45.57 points or 1.14%, to 4,057.122.