Stocks rose for a second day on Wednesday after JP Morgan Chase's chief executive said his bank was profitable in January and February, echoing comments by Citigroup's CEO a day earlier.

Jamie Dimon's comments to CNBC television, which reversed a broad decline, came after a speech where he said the bank's bond department had just had its two busiest months ever.

It was the first two-day run-up for the S&P in a month.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> inched up 3.91 points, or 0.06 percent, to end unofficially at 6,930.40. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> added 1.76 points, or 0.24 percent, to 721.36. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 13.36 points, or 0.98 percent, to 1,371.64.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Jan Paschal)