NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks extended gains on Thursday, with the S&P 500 hitting its highest level since May 2008 on positive economic data and the European Central Bank's agreement to launch a new and potentially unlimited bond-buying program.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 217.45 points, or 1.67 percent, to 13,264.93. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 23.78 points, or 1.69 percent, to 1,427.22. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> climbed 52.40 points, or 1.71 percent, to 3,121.67.
(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak, editing by Dave Zimmerman)