The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 38.82 points, or 0.21 percent, to 18,135.72, with Wal-Mart leading gains and Intel the greatest decliner.  The S&P 500 closed up 2.51 points, or 0.12 percent, at 2,101.04, with utilities leading six sectors higher and energy the greatest laggard.  The Nasdaq closed up 15.67 points, or 0.32 percent, to 4,982.81.  The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded near 14.  Advancers were a step ahead of decliners on the New York Stock Exchange, with an exchange volume of 660 million and a composite volume of 3 billion in the close.  Crude oil settled down 77 cents, or 1.49 percent, to $50.76 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures settled down $4.70, $1,196.20 an ounce.  The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield traded near 2.11 percent. The U.S. dollar traded higher against major world currencies.  In corporate news, food and general bulk merchandise retailer Costco Wholesale reported better-than-expected quarterly profit early Thursday, boosted by a tax benefit related to its special cash dividend last month.  Costco, the third-largest U.S. retailer, said net income rose to $598 million, or $1.35 per share, for the second quarter ended Feb. 15, from $463 million, or $1.05 per share a year earlier.  Simon Property is mulling a bid for rival mall owner Macerich, said an initial report by the Wall Street Journal. Simon hasn't made a formal offer as yet, although it did reveal a 3.6 percent stake in Macerich last year.  Piper Jaffray downgraded McDonald's to "neutral" from "overweight," saying that the stock is appropriately valued after a recent 12 percent increase, and that initiatives to increase sales may work more slowly many expect.  Read MoreEarly movers: PCYC, COST, MCD, AAPL & more  Cooper Cos., Diamond Foods, Esterline Tech and Fresh Market report after the close.  Markets also await information on Fed bank stress tests, expected after the closing bell.  Asian markets ended mostly in the red with China's lower GDP growth target of 7 percent, the lowest in 11 years.  —CNBC's Peter Schacknow contributed to this report.
U.S. stocks closed higher, breaking two days of losses amid details of QE in the euro zone and anticipation of Friday's nonfarm payrolls report.