The stock market recovered from an afternoon stumble and ended with modest gains Thursday, enough to mark more record highs for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 added 0.3% while the Nasdaq managed a gain of 0.1%. Small-company stocks far outpaced the rest of the market, a sign that investors are feeling encouraged about the prospects for the economy.

The Russell 2000 rose 0.7%, more than twice the gain of the S&P 500, which tracks large companies.

Energy stocks did particularly well as the price of oil rose 2%.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 1.29%.