Wall Street stocks soared to fresh records on Thursday as markets cheered the Federal Reserve's move to aggressively cut interest rates to protect the labour market.

The Dow Jones gained 1.3 percent to 42,025, its first close above 42,000.

The S&P 500 also shot to an all-time high, surging 1.7 percent to 5,713, while the Nasdaq jumped 2.5 percent to 18,013.

"Lower rates are going to be unanimously good for markets," said Art Hogan of B Riley Wealth Management.

The Fed on Wednesday cut its key lending rate by half a percentage point, opting for the larger reduction after also weighing a quarter-point move.

Stocks fluctuated in the final two hours of trading on Wednesday after the Fed decision, with some analysts noting a bit of disappointment over Fed Chair Jerome Powell's guidance not to expect large rate cuts on a regular basis.

But the market's response on Thursday was unfettered bullishness, with all three indices in positive territory the entire day.

"The upside moves reflect a belief that the economy is in good shape and the Fed will cut rates as needed to maintain a solid economic backdrop. This morning's data supported this optimistic view," said a note from Briefing.com that pointed to lower jobless claims.

The biggest gainers in the Dow included Apple, Caterpillar, Goldman Sachs and Salesforce. Eight of 11 sectors in the S&P 500 finished higher. (AFP)