U.S. Stocks End Modestly Higher As Rally Fades

A solid rally in U.S. stocks ran out of momentum in the final two hours of the session, with the main indexes ending only modestly higher Thursday. A jump in oil prices helped lift the overall market, but uncertainty ahead of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting next week made for volatile trade and kept a lid on gains. The S&P 500 closed 10.25 points, or 0.5% higher at 1,952.29. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 76.83 points, or 0.5%, to 16,330.40. The Nasdaq Composite ended the day up 39.72 points, or 0.8%, at 4,796.25.