Rally pushes U.S. stocks to 2015 gain

U.S. stocks recorded solid gains on Thursday, buoyed by a rebound in oil prices, deal news and upbeat quarterly earnings, pushing the S&P 500 and Dow industrials into positive territory for the year.

The S&P 500 SPX, +1.03%  closed 21 points, or 1%, higher at 2,062.50, with broad-based gains across all 10 main sectors. Some analysts pointed out that Friday’s move on the index will prove important, if it breaks through a key January resistance level of 2,064.