U.S. stocks extended gains, with the Nasdaq composite index up 1 percent, as a buyback plan by Intel focused investors' attention on the large-cap technology sector.

The S&P 500 index was also lifted by natural resource shares on bets on global growth.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 92.60 points, or 0.78 percent, to 11,964.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 <.SPX> rose 7.20 points, or 0.56 percent, to 1,290.55. The Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 26.11 points, or 0.97 percent, to 2,715.65.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Kenneth Barry)