Stocks advanced on Thursday with the Dow industrials up 1 percent as insurer Travelers' Cos Inc quarterly profit more than quadrupled and other blue-chip results beat expectations.

Apple Inc shares pared losses, but disappointing reports from LM Ericsson and eBay Inc kept the Nasdaq's gains in check.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 97.34 points, or 0.98 percent, to 10,046.70. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 5.66 points, or 0.52 percent, to 1,087.06. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 4.36 points, or 0.20 percent, to 2,155.09.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)