U.S. stocks added to gains Thursday afternoon, with a slight acceleration of the rally occurring just after the Senate confirmed Mike Pompeo as U.S. secretary of state, in a 57 to 42 vote. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up nearly 280 points, or 1.2%, at 24,363, the S&P 500 index gained 1.1% at 2,669, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.7% to 7,123. All three benchmarks had been enjoying an earlier rally on the back of upbeat corporate results, including those for Facebook Inc. but equities took a slight leg higher on the confirmation report, perhaps with the hope that it suggested a modicum of stability in the White House, with concerns that the former Central Intelligence Agency director wouldn't be confirmed. Pompeo is a former member of the U.S. House from Kansas. President Donald Trump nominated him after ousting former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson amid clashes over the Iran nuclear deal and other issues.