Stocks close more than 1 percent higher, Dow spikes over 15,000

JeeYeon Park CNBC

46 minutes ago
Stocks rallied to close near highs Thursday, with major averages wiping out the previous day's losses, lifted by a pair of better-than-expected economic data and as investors shrugged off another steep sell-off in the Japanese market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 180 points to 15,176.08, regaining its footing above 15,000. Caterpillar and Pfizer led the Dow gainers, while Microsoft slipped.
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also finished near session highs. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, tumbled near 16.
All key S&P sectors closed firmly in positive territory, boosted by financials and telecoms.
Nagging worries about the Federal Reserve tapering its bond-buying program and disappointment over the Bank of Japan's decision pushed the market sharply lower in the last two days. Despite the session's rally, major averages are currently on pace for their worst monthly performance since October 2012.

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-rally-end-near-session-highs-dow-spikes-nearly-200-6C10305446