U.S. stocks closed at highs Thursday after encouraging domestic data alleviated concerns over continued signs of slowing growth in Europe and China. In U.S. economic news, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Federal Reserve Index posted 40.8 for November, more than double the expected 18.3 and the highest since December 1993. Existing home sales hit 5.26 million, and leading indicators gained 0.9 percent, both beating expectations for October. Weekly jobless claims fell more than expected at 291,000, with continuing claims the lowest since 2000. The Consumer Price Index for October was unchanged. In corporate news, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba sold its first-ever bond, a jumbo trade expected to be around $8 billion in size and could extend to $10 billion. Intel led blue chips by gaining more than 4 percent after the technology firm reported an upbeat outlook for 2015 revenue and raised its dividend. The California-based company has benefited from a stabilizing personal computer market. The dollar gained slightly against major world currencies. Light sweet crude oil for December delivery added $1 to $75.58 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures lost $3 to $1,190.90 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 33.27, or 0.19 percent, to 17,719.00. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 4.03, or 0.20 percent, to 2,052.75. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index moved up 26.16, or 0.56 percent, at 4,701.87.