NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks enjoyed a late afternoon rally on Thursday, ending a volatile session sharply higher as crude oil reversed earlier losses and returned the energy sector to positive territory.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 225.6 points, or 1.31 percent, to 17,416.97, the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 19.25 points, or 0.96 percent, to 2,021.41 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 45.41 points, or 0.98 percent, to 4,683.41.
(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
