U.S. stocks ended higher Thursday with the Dow hitting a fresh six-year closing high, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke signaled a pause in interest-rate increases and world crude oil prices retreated for a fourth day.

Bernanke suggested in his second appearance before Congress Thursday that the Fed may pause its series of 15 straight interest- rate increases, calling the outlook for inflation "reasonably favorable."

The Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed's rate-setting body, has raised its key short-term rate 15 times in a row to 4.75 percent in a bid to slow economic growth and choke off inflation.

World crude oil prices retreated for a fourth day Thursday on U. S. energy stocks weekly report, after a temporary halt to any increases of the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve.

Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's most valuable public company reported Thursday that first-quarter earnings rose to 8.4 billion dollars, up from a year earlier but down from the fourth- quarter's record level.

The country's three largest oil and gas companies are expected to report combined first-quarter profits this week in excess of 16 billion dollars, a 19 percent surge from last year that is sure to complicate life for the industry in Washington, where elected officials are scrambling for ways to assuage angry consumers and businesses.

At the closing time, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 28. 02, or 0.3 percent, to close at 11,382.51, hitting a fresh six- year closing high. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4.31, or 0. 3 percent, to 1,309.72, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 11.32, or 0.5 percent, to 2,344.95.

Source: Xinhua