United States stocks finished higher on Thursday as investors bet that United Kingdom voters would elect to remain in the European Union in a long-anticipated referendum. 

The S&P 500 SPX, +1.34% gained 27.81 points, or 1.3%, to 2,113.28, led higher by financials and materials shares. 

The Dow industrials DJIA, +1.29% gained 230.17 points, or 1.3%, to 18,011.07, with shares of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS, +3.05% and Caterpillar Inc. CAT, +2.34% posting the largest gains. 

The Nasdaq Composite COMP, +1.59% gained 76.72 points, or 1.6%, to 4,910.04. Results from the referendum were expected to trickle in through early Friday morning.