Dow, S&P 500 post 2014's biggest one-day percentage gain

US stocks rose the most so far this year on Thursday after a drop in applications for unemployment insurance boosted confidence in the economy, and as Disney's results overshot expectations.

Tnthe Dow Jones industrial average rose 187.14 points or 1.21 per cent, to 15,627.37, the S&P 500 gained 21.76 points or 1.24 per ce, to 1,773.4 and the Nasdaq Composite added 45.57 points or 1.14 per cent, to 4,057.122.

Copyright: Thomson Reuters 2014