Stocks Closed Higher as Financials, Tech Advanced

U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday, buoyed by gains in financial stocks and as technology stocks continued to slowly recover from a losing skid. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 63.21 points, or 0.26%, to 24,837.51. The S&P 500 gained 4.92 points, or 0.18%, to 2,687.54. the Nasdaq Composite added 10.82 points, or 0.16%, to 6,950.16.

Crude-oil prices on Thursday finished with modest gains, as market participants grew optimistic about inventory reports that point to a steady decline in U.S. crude stocks. February West Texas Intermediate oil rose 20 cents, or 0.3%, at $59.84 a barrel. February Brent added 28 cents, or 0.4%, to $66.72 a barrel.