U.S. stocks opened higher Thursday, as oil prices attempted to stabilize and a round of U.S. data offered an upbeat picture of the economy. The small gains came after stocks closed lower on Wednesday, dragged down by a slump in oil prices. On Thursday, weekly jobless claims ticked down to 266,000, staying below the 300,000 layoff level for 75 weeks in a row. The import-price index for July rose 0.1%, while export prices ticked up 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 56 points, or 0.3%, to 18,556, the S&P 500 index added 6 points, or 0.3%, to 2,182, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 23 points, or 0.4%, to 5,227.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
From:: Stock Market News