U.S. stocks kept climbing on Thursday after the Treasury Department's record $28 billion auction of 7-year notes attracted solid bidding.

Thursday's rally has been driven by strong corporate results and a drop in the number of Americans staying on jobless benefits.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 160.07 points, or 1.76 percent, to 9,230.79. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 18.51 points, or 1.90 percent, to 993.66. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 27.88 points, or 1.42 percent, to 1,995.64.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)