US stocks gain after slew of tech firms' earnings reports

US stocks ended higher on Thursday as investors turned their attention away from the Federal Reserve's decision to focus on the financial results of major tech companies. This comes amid anticipation of the US inflation (PCE) data on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4%, or 168 points, to settle at 44,882 points.

The S&P 500 index added 0.55%, or 31 points, to 6,071 points. Similarly, Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.25%, or 49 points, to close at 19,681 points.

As for European markets, the STOXX Europe 600 inched up 0.85% to 538.8 points.

The British FTSE index leapt 1% to 8,646 points, and the German DAX index was up 0.8% to 21,727 points. The French CAC 40 index rose 0.9% to 7,941 points.

The Nikkei index advanced 0.25%, or 99 points, to 39,513 points, and the broader Topix index gained 0.25% to 2,781 points.

Brent crude futures for April delivery rose 0.35%, or $0.28, to $75.89 a barrel. In addition, futures prices for US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for March delivery settled 0.15% or $0.11 higher at $72.73 per barrel.

Regarding gold, futures for April delivery leapt 1.85%, or $51.7, to settle at $2,845.20 per ounce, its lifetime high.