The U.S stocks ended higher on Thursday after economic data continued to prove that the recovery was picking up strength in the world's largest economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained for the seventh straight day, rising 58.66 points, or 0.44 percent, at 13,252.76.

The Standard & Poor's 500 was up 8.32 points, or 0.60 percent, to 1,402.60, the first time for the index to settle above 1,400 in about four years.

The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 15.64 points, or 0.51 percent, to 3,056.37.

Market sentiment was continued to be buoyed by a bunch of positive economic data, indicating the economy was gaining momentum.

The U.S. Labor Department reported early in the morning that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped 14, 000 to a seasonally adjusted 351,000 last week, back to the four- year low.

The four-week average of this reading, which erased weekly volatile factors, was unchanged at 355,750.

The number has been consistently below 375,000 in recent weeks, a level considered as strong enough to lower unemployment rate by most economists.

Separately, another report showed prices at wholesale levers rose the most in about half a year last month, driven by lofty oil prices. However, the core index, which excludes food and gas prices, rose for the least in three months, indicating the inflation is still tame.

Meanwhile, the New York Federal Reserve said its manufacturing index rose to 20.2 in March, its highest level since June 2010 and also the fourth consecutive increase.

Adding to optimism, the Philadelphia Fed reported that its index of current activity edged slightly higher in March to its highest level in almost a year.

Among stocks in focus, Apple topped 600 dollars a share in early session on Thursday, one day before its new generation of IPad hits the store.

Apple's shares climbed as high as 600.01 dollars shortly after the market opened, the first time in the company's history, before retreating to 585.56 dollars due to profit-taking activities. It was only less than a month after its prices broke 500 dollars.

The surge in Apple's shares came one day before its latest creation meet the public on Friday. Now, the market capitalization is nearly 555 billion, the most valuable company in the world.

Earlier this week, Morgan Stanley and Canaccord Genuity both lifted their price targets on the stock to above 700 dollars a share.

In other markets, the U.S. dollar fell against major currencies in late New York trading and Crude prices also dipped on the news that the U.S. and Britain were thinking of releasing emergency oil reserves, which was later denied by the White House.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery slipped 32 cents, or 0.30 percent to settle at 105.11 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.