U.S. stocks close higher in third day of gains; Dow tops 11,000 for first time in a week

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch)
U.S. stocks ended higher for a third session Thursday after a late-session sprint lifted indexes to session highs, as better-than-forecast jobless claims data and statements from European officials on bank recapitalization efforts inspired buyers ahead of Friday's jobs report.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended up 183.38 points, or 1.7%, to 11,123.33, its first close above 11,000 in a week
An 8.8% jump in Bank of America Corp. shares led gains for 26 of 30 Dow components
The S&P 500 ended up 20.94 points, or 1.8%, to 1,164.97, led by a 3.2% gain in the index's financial sector
The Nasdaq Composite was up 46.31 points, or 1.9%, to 2,506.82