US stock rise on stronger GDP growth US stocks edged higher on Thursday as data pointed to stronger-than-expected economic growth, though geopolitical uncertainty over Syria limited gains. Talks that could lead to a major deal in which US phone company Verizon buys the part of Verizon Wireless it doesn't already own from Vodafone helped push stocks higher. "That there will be an attack is priced into markets, but there's no way the market appreciates the implications beyond that if the US were to go to war," said Joe Tanious, global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds in New York. US crude futures have spiked 2.2 per cent this week on tensions oil supply from the Middle East will be interrupted. Stocks rose after the government said in an upwardly revised estimate the economy expanded by a stronger-than-expected 2.5 per cent in the second quarter. In a separate report, it said weekly jobless claims fell more than anticipated last week, a possible sign that hiring improved in August. The S&P was unable to close above its 100-day moving average for a third straight day, an indication that near-term momentum may fade. The robust data could bolster the case for the Federal Reserve to soon wind down a major economic stimulus program that has driven a rally of more than 15 percent in the S&P 500 this year. The data "reiterates that the economy continues to grow, which is supportive to risk assets and bodes well for the prospect of future growth," said Tanious. That the market is reacting positively to this shows that investors have become more comfortable with the idea of tapering. US-listed shares of Vodafone Group jumped 8.1 per cent to $US31.80 as the biggest percentage gainer on the Nasdaq 100 index after the company said it was in talks with Verizon Communications to sell its 45 per cent stake in their US joint venture, Verizon Wireless. If completed, the deal could be worth around $US130 billion, according to a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified. Verizon rose 2.7 per cent to $US47.82 as one of the top boosts to the Dow. Homebuilding stocks were among the strongest of the day. Lennar Corp rose 3.2 per cent to $US32.62 while PulteGroup was up 3.1 per cent to $US15.86. After the market's close, software company Salesforce.com Inc raised its full-year revenue outlook, sending its shares 6.8 per cent higher to $US46.60. Guess jumped 13 per cent to $US30.82 in the wake of second-quarter results that beat Wall Street estimates, bucking a trend of falling sales for apparel retailers. Campbell Soup Co fell 3.1 per cent to $US43.33 after reporting revenue that missed expectations. About 63 per cent of companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange closed higher while almost 70 per cent of Nasdaq-listed shares ended higher. Volume was light, with about 4.74 billion shares changing hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, below the daily average so far this year of about 6.31 billion shares.