U.S. stocks rose Thursday with energy companies getting a lift from a four-month high in crude oil prices, while market talk of an imminent broker upgrade for the semiconductor sector boosted tech shares. Crude stayed firmly above $51 a barrel, fueling shares of oil majors ExxonMobil Corp., ConocoPhillips and ChevronTexaco Corp. The Philadelphia Stock Exchange semiconductor index rose about 2.4 percent. Nasdaq was helped as the world's biggest semiconductor maker Intel Corp. climbed 1.7 percent to $23.70 and cell phone chip-maker Qualcomm Inc. jumped 4 percent to $35.51. Industrial stocks also gained after mining equipment maker Joy Global Inc. posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings and lifted its 2005 earnings outlook. Joy Global rose 18.4 percent to $35 and Caterpillar Inc. was the biggest gainer on the blue-chip Dow, rising 3 percent to $93.16. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 75 points, or 0.70 percent, at 10,748.79. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 9.40 points, or 0.79 percent, at 1,200.20. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index rose 20.45 points, or 1.01 percent, to 2,051.70. --More 2340 Local Time 2040 GMT
