Stocks rallied for a second day on Thursday as Greece backed away from a proposed referendum that threatened its membership in the euro, which could destabilize global markets.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 208.21 points, or 1.76 percent, at 12,044.25. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 23.23 points, or 1.88 percent, at 1,261.13. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 57.99 points, or 2.20 percent, at 2,697.97.

(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Kenneth Barry)