At the closing bell the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 78.63 points (0.62 percent) to 12,837.78.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 9.28 (0.69 percent) to 1,352.64, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite rose 25.37 points (0.87 percent) to 2,935.69.

A solid showing for February in a key private-sector measure of job creation, and data showing stronger-than-expected productivity in the economy in the fourth quarter of last year, bolstered opening gains and the market continued to rise throughout the session.