Stocks jumped on Thursday as investors were relieved that Ben Bernanke weathered a congressional hearing well.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 172.54 points, or 2.08 percent, to close unofficially at 8,472.40, snapping a four-day losing streak. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> jumped 19.33 points, or 2.15 percent, to end unofficially at 920.26. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 37.20 points, or 2.08 percent, to close unofficially at 1,829.54.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Ben Bernanke