US stocks have rallied after an expected European Central Bank interest rate cut and a strong report on US jobless claims.
Five minutes into trade on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 46.73 points, or 0.32 per cent, to 14,747.68.
The broad-based S&P 500 added 5.33 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 1,588.03.
The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 12.59 points, or 0.38 per cent, to 2,884.14.
The gains came as new claims for US unemployment benefits – an indicator of the pace of layoffs – fell by 18,000 to 324,000, the lowest level since mid-January 2008.
They also followed an expected move by the ECB to trim its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to a record low 0.50 per cent, aimed at boosting the eurozone economy.