Wall Street rose on Thursday, led by banks and home builders after European lenders decided to continue a liquidity safety net for vulnerable banks and pending home sales data showed an unexpected jump in October. The KBW bank index shot up 2.9 percent, the biggest one-day gain in a month. The S&P 500 financial index rose 2.2 percent, making it the largest gainer among S&P sectors.
Shares of regional lender Marshall & Ilsley Corp jumped 7.2 percent to $5.23 and Bank of America gained 2.7 percent to $11.59. The Dow Jones US Home Construction index advanced 4.3 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 102.74 points, or 0.91 percent, to 11,358.52. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index advanced 13.29 points, or 1.10 percent, to 1,219.36. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 24.28 points, or 0.95 percent, to 2,573.71.