NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow rose 2 percent and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq extended gains on Thursday after remarks by Europe's central bank chief about protecting the euro zone from collapse helped reassure a market already expecting the Federal Reserve to step up stimulus efforts.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 253.84 points, or 2.00 percent, at 12,929.89. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 23.57 points, or 1.76 percent, at 1,361.46. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 49.24 points, or 1.73 percent, at 2,903.48.
(Reporting By Caroline Valetkevitch, editing by Dave Zimmerman)
