The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) Thursday closed up by +0.40%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) closed up by +0.62%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed up by +0.72%. Stocks rallied Thursday, with the S&P 500 posting a new all-time high and the Nasdaq 100 posting a 2-1/4 month high. Strength in chip stocks led the overall market higher. Micron Technology, the largest US maker of computer memory chips, closed up more than +14% after giving surprisingly strong sales and profit forecasts, helped by demand for artificial intelligence gear. Stocks maintained their gains on sign…