Technology stocks gained ahead of earnings reports from International Business Machines (IBM) and Google.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 95.61 points, or 1.11 percent, to 8,711.82. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 8.06 points, or 0.86 percent, to 940.74. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 22.13 points, or 1.19 percent, to 1,885.03.

The US currency dropped against the euro to 70.71 euro cents from 70.89 euro cents on Wednesday and fell against the Japanese currency to 93.76 yen from 94.32 yen.