U.S. stocks close higher

NEW YORK, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 260.36 points, or 0.62 percent, to 42,175.11. The S&P 500 added 23.11 points, or 0.40 percent, to 5,745.37. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 108.09 points, or 0.60 percent, to 18,190.29.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with materials and technology leading the gainers by going up 1.97 percent and 0.89 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy and real estate led the laggards by dropping 2.00 percent and 1.05 percent, respectively.