The major averages rose for a third day on Thursday as investors looked past earlier jitters about the spread of the omicron COVID variant.
The Dow Jones Industrials advanced 215.04 points to commence trading Thursday at 35,968.93, bringing its three-day rally to more than 1,000 points.
The S&P 500 index gained 24.76 points to 4,721.32, on track for a winning week.
The NASDAQ gathered 56.09 points at 15,577.98.
Trading is expected to be thin for the remainder of the week ahead of the holidays. U.S. markets are closed Friday for the Christmas holiday.
Reopening plays led gains on Thursday, including Las Vegas Sands, which is up 4.5%, and Wynn Resorts, which is up 4%.
Airline shares were also in the green. Delta Air Lines rose 1%, Alaska Air Group popped 1.5% and American Airlines added about 1%.
Helping boost sentiment were new studies suggesting that omicron has a lower risk of hospitalization than other COVID variants.
Economic data out Thursday morning down south showed a strong economy with improving labour and spending trends, but inflation at uncomfortable levels.
Jobless claims for the week ended December 18 came in about as expected at 205,000. Durable goods for November rose 2.5%, compared to the 1.5% Dow Jones estimate. Personal income and spending showed increases for November.
But on the inflation side, the Federal Reserve's closely watched core personal consumption expenditures index rose 0.6% in November from the month prior. Core PCE rose 4.7% year-over-year in November, higher than the 4.5% rate expected.
Prices for 10-year were pitched lower, raising yields to 1.5% from Wednesday's 1.46%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices gained 11 cents to $72.87 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices brightened $2.90 to $1,805.10 U.S. an ounce.