U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday mainly led by financials and a better than-expected-reading of regional manufacturing report that helped U.S. stocks rose higher.The 30-stock Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.76 percent,up 70.89 points to 9350.05. The broad Standard & Poor's 500 index was up 10.915 points, up 1.09 percent, to 1007.37.Nasdaq composite index gained 19.98 points,up 1.01 percent, to 1989.22.

US markets opened lower, after a surprise jump in jobless claims.Financial stocks after incoming CEO Robert Benmosche told Bloomberg that they may be able to repay loans from the government.Citigroup gained 8.47 percent,Bank of America gained 2.33 percent,JPMorgan was up 2.44 percent.AIG rose 21.3 percent, gaining $5.66 to $32.30.Sears Holdings Corp.'s fell nearly 12 percent, falling $8.76 to $65,after it missed earnings expectations.H.J. Heinz shares were up 2 percent and Hormel Foods gained 0.5 percent after both posted better-than-expected earnings.

Crude Oil prices rose 12 cents to settle at $72.54 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Gold prices lost 0.33 percent down $3 to $942.