U.S. stocks close higher

NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 308.51 points, or 0.69 percent, to 45,014.04. The S&P 500 added 36.61 points, or 0.61 percent, to 6,086.49. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 254.21 points, or 1.30 percent, to 19,735.12.

Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with energy and materials leading the laggards by dropping 2.47 percent and 0.89 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, technology and consumer discretionary led the gainers by going up 1.77 percent and 1.20 percent, respectively.