Stocks extended gains on Thursday, led by a rebound in financial and big-cap technology shares as investors scooped up riskier equities after a recent pullback.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 86.97 points, or 1.05 percent, to 8,371.86. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 13.97 points, or 1.58 percent, to 897.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 36.58 points, or 2.20 percent, at 1,700.77.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr)