US stocks rose on Thursday as a flurry of strong earnings reports lifted big names like Apple, but underwhelming economic data and caution ahead of the long weekend kept gains in check. The S&P 500 bumped up once more close to 1,340, a level that has triggered selling plenty of times this month. Some see a failure to convincingly rise above 1,344, the recent high in the benchmark, as a bearish technical signal.
But continuing with a recent swing in sentiment, Apple Inc, up 2.9 percent at $352.25, posted results that smashed Wall Street's expectations, joining Intel, United Technologies and other names that have increased the perception of a healthy corporate America. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 35.69 points, or 0.28 percent, to 12,489.23. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 6.47 points, or 0.49 percent, to 1,336.83. The Nasdaq Composite Index added 15.91 points, or 0.57 percent, to 2,818.42. For the second day in a row, the Dow approached a three-year peak. The Dow industrials climbed as high as 12,491.19, their highest intraday level since early June 2008.
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