NEW YORK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S.-listed Chinese companies traded mostly higher on Thursday, with nine of the top 10 stocks by weight in the S&P U.S. Listed China 50 index ending the day on an upbeat note.

Shares of Yum China Holdings and TAL Education Group increased 4.97 percent and 3.47 percent respectively, while shares of Ctrip.com International dropped 1.91 percent as the only laggard among the top 10 stocks of the index.

As of Wednesday, the S&P U.S. Listed China 50 index stood at 2,933.75, marking a 4.86-percent decline for the month-to-date returns and a 5.09-percent decrease for the year-to-date returns.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday as investors cheered on strong earnings reports and positive economic data from the country.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 238.51 points, or 0.99 percent, to 24,322.34. The S&P 500 climbed 27.54 points, or 1.04 percent, to 2,666.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 114.94 points, or 1.64 percent, to 7,118.68.