US stocks ride rally wave

New York - Growing investor enthusiasm for equities in the wake of this week's records pushed US markets higher again on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged to an all-time peak for the third day in a row, adding 33.33 at 14 329.57.

The broad-based S&P 500 also moved higher, gaining 2.83 points at 1544.29, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 9.72 to 3232.09.

This week's record run for the Dow has attracted new investors, said Art Hogan, chief market analyst for Lazard Capital Markets.

"We're getting new participation," Hogan said. The record results were "dragging people in from the sidelines".

In addition, markets were gaining from better-than-expected economic data, such as Thursday's report on a weekly decline in jobless claims.