(CNBC) Stocks rose on Thursday as Apple and Micron surged to lead the tech sector higher. Investor sentiment was also boosted by the Federal Reserve’s updated outlook on interest-rate hikes.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 216.84 points higher at 25,962.51 as a 3.7 percent gain in Apple offset a decline of 1.6 percent in J.P. Morgan Chase. The S&P 500 closed 1.1 percent higher at 2,854.88 while the Nasdaq Composite outperformed, rising 1.4 percent to 7,838.96.
Apple rose after Needham upgraded the stock to strong buy from buy, citing “value upside” in the firm’s ecosystem. Thursday’s gains led the stock to break above its 200-day moving average for the first time since November.
