A number of leading stocks soared past buy points and hit new highs Thursday as the market’s uptrend gathered steam. Many got a boost from strong earnings reports. Epam Systems (EPAM) jumped 4.60, or 9%, to 56.01 in heavy trade, clearing a cup base with a 52.99 buy point. The provider of IT software is expected to post a 27% increase in Q4 profit, slowing slightly from the 30%-plus pace of the prior three quarters.