Stocks Ended Higher after ECB Moves

U.S. stocks finished with solid gains on Thursday, after the European Central Bank unveiled a raft of stimulus measures. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 98.58 points, or 0.59%, to 16,836.11. The S&P 500 gained 12.58 points, or 0.65%, to 1,940.46. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 44.58 points, or 1.05%, to 4,296.23.

The ECB announced a negative rate on reserves that banks park at the central bank, in a widely expected move, but it also revealed several other measures aimed at boosting inflation and encouraging lending in the euro zone.

U.S. household net worth nudged up 2 percent to a record high $81.8 trillion in the first quarter as the stock market continued its upward climb and property values rose, data from the Federal Reserve showed on Thursday.