U.S. stocks close higher

NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 339.86 points, or 0.80 percent, to 42,732.13. The S&P 500 added 73.92 points, or 1.26 percent, to 5,942.47. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 340.88 points, or 1.77 percent, to 19,621.68.

All of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with consumer discretionary and technology leading the gainers by rising 2.42 percent and 1.62 percent, respectively. Materials posted the weakest growth, up by 0.03 percent.