US stocks pushed higher Thursday amid speculation of more stimulus from the Federal Reserve after another batch of poor data releases.

Rumors of central bank coordination to head off contagion in the markets took stocks through a roller coaster late in the day, as Greece's weekend election and next week's crucial G20 summit kept investors on edge.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 155.53 points, or 1.24 percent, at 12,651.91.

The S&P 500-stock index advanced 14.22 (1.08 percent) to 1,329.10, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 17.72 (0.63 percent) to 2,836.33.

A rise in weekly initial jobless claims and a fall in monthly consumer prices in May for the first time in two years underpinned fresh signs of weakness in the US economy.

"With the US figures this morning, we expect that a stimulus may be announced during the FOMC meeting Wednesday," said Bart Malek of TD Securities.

"Sentiment seemed to strengthen on hopes that underwhelming data might compel the Fed to implement another round of quantitative easing when they meet next week," said Briefing.com.

Trade was heavy in Johnson & Johnson, which gained 1.6 percent after Moody's raised its rating outlook from negative to neutral.

Home Depot picked up 2.9 percent and AT&T jumped 2.0 percent.

Dow member United Technologies rose 0.8 percent after raising its quarterly dividend.

On the Nasdaq Comcast picked up 2.4 percent and Starbucks 2.1 percent, while wireless chip maker Qualcomm sank 3.7 percent on talk of weaker-than-expected handset sales at its customer Samsung.

Bonds were flat. The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond edged higher to 1.61 percent from 1.60 percent Wednesday, while the 30-year bond held at 2.71 percent.

Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.