S&P 500 rockets to a new record high

Dow Jones Index Crosses 18,000 Mark (Credit: Photograph by Andrew Burton — Getty Images)

(Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended sharply stronger on Thursday and the S&P 500 closed at a record high as investors worried less about interest rates and a weaker dollar offered the possibility of stronger sales for U.S. multinationals. The S&P 500 gained 22.62 points, or 1.08%, to end at 2,121.1, exceeding its previous all-time high close of 2,117.69 on April 24. The Nasdaq Composite had its strongest day since January. After oscillating in what many investors view as a range for much of the past three months, the S&P's gain in 2015 now stands at 3%. The dollar moved to its lowest since January against a basket of currencies of major U.S. trading partners - good news for companies that have large foreign sales. A report showing a dip in initial claims for state unemployment benefits last week did little to change broad expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would not increase interest rates before the second half of 2015 at the earliest. "There's a 50-50 chance they're not going to raise rates this year, so why are we spending two years discussing this? Let's focus on the fact that the economy is doing okay," said

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