Washington, DC - US stocks kicked off Thursday with a bang, with the S&P 500 and Dow both hitting fresh intraday record highs as trade fears appeared to ease and Treasury yields climbed.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.6 per cent to 2,924.89 led by a 1.2 per cent advance in materials and a 1 per cent rise in financials that was partially offset by a 0.9 per cent decline in utilities.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8 per cent to 26,627.87 hitting a fresh record high, having last notched one in January. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.5 per cent 7,987.97, while the Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks rose 0.4 per cent to 1,717.09....