The broad S&P 500 index rose 1.1 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index was up 1.5 percent, while the Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.7 percent.
Falling oil prices - North Sea oil is down just over 3 percent to $102.60 per barrel - combined with downward pressure on US market interest rates are contributing to the move.
The market appears to be characterized by increased confidence in the US central bank, the Federal Reserve (Fed), which raised the key interest rate on Wednesday and has signaled one or two more increases.
Ahead of the Fed announcement, market interest rates had been pushed up to the highest levels since the financial crisis, putting a wet blanket over risk appetite among investors around the world.
On Wednesday, the Nasdaq stock market moved sideways, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.4 percent and the Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.2 percent.
