Stocks rose on Thursday, sending the major indexes up for a second straight day as a narrower October's trade deficit and signs of improving trends in the labor market reassured investors the economy was on a steady recovery path.

* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 68.78 points, or 0.67 percent, to 10,405.83. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 6.37 points, or 0.58 percent, to 1,102.32. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 7.13 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,190.86. (Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Kenneth Barry)