17 May 2013 Last updated at 17:05 ET

Wall Street Market Report

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Dow Jones Industrial Average

Last Updated at 17 May 2013, 16:05 ET *Chart shows local time

value	change	%
15354.40	+ +121.18	+ +0.80
Top winner and loser
JP Morgan Chase & Co.
52.30	+ +1.33	+ +2.61
Pfizer Inc.
28.96	- -0.29	- -0.99

value	change	%
Nasdaq Index
3498.97	+ +33.73	+ +0.97
S&P 500 Cash Index - Chicago Mercantile Exchange
1666.12	+ +15.65	+ +0.95

(Close): US stocks surged once again, after encouraging economic data.

The Dow Jones index finished 121.18 points, or 0.8%, higher at 15,354.40, while the S&P 500 index rose 15.65 points, or 0.95%, to close at 1,666.12.

The closely-watched University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment registered its highest number since 2007.

Financial shares were among the biggest gainers, with JPMorgan Chase up 2.6% and Goldman Sachs up 2.4%.

Shares in General Motors rose 3.1% after CLSA raised its rating on the carmaker to "buy" from "underperform".

Shares in the oil refiner Tesoro shot up by 7%, after winning US antitrust approval to acquire BP's Carson refinery in California for about $1.2bn.

J.C. Penney shares lost 4%, after the department store chain reported that its first-quarter net losses more than doubled from a year ago, to $348m.

Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange, but at three billion shares, trading was lighter than usual.