The Nasdaq jumped to a 10-year high as U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's first-ever press conference did nothing to short-circuit investors' optimistic outlook on the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 95.59 points, or 0.76 percent, to end unofficially at 12,690.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 8.42 points, or 0.62 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,355.66. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 22.34 points, or 0.78 percent, to close unofficially at 2,869.88.

(Reporting by Angela Moon; Editing by Jan Paschal )

Ben Bernanke