Investing.com - U.S. stocks opened mixed on Thursday, after the release of upbeat U.S. jobless claims data, while a fresh round of corporate earnings reports remained in focus.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.31%, the S&P 500 index added 0.18%, while the Nasdaq Composite index tumbled 1.12%.
The U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending January 19 fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000, the lowest level since January 2008, compared to expectations for an increase of 20,000 to 355,000.
Jobless claims for the preceding week stood at 335,000 people.
Any improvement in the U.S. economy could scale back expectations for further monetary easing by the Federal Reserve, boosting the U.S. dollar.
Tech giant Apple saw shares dive 11.31% after the company announced late Wednesday that it misses analysts' revenue forecast for the third straight quarter, after iPhone sales came in below expectations. Apple shares dove 8.90% in pre-market trade.
In addition, a U.S. trade panel that specializes in patent disputes was set to review a key decision in the patent fight between Samsung Electronics and Apple over smartphones and tablets.
Noble Corp added to losses, tumbling 1.81% after reporting a lower-than-expected quarterly profit as it struggled with maintenance for five high-end rigs, even as demand for its most capable units increased.
On the upside, Netflix skyrocketed 40.88% after the company announced a quarterly profit that blew past expectations, as the video subscription service added nearly 4 million customers in the U.S. and abroad.
Hard disk drive maker Western Digital also trended higher, jumping 1.04%, as the group's second-quarter results beat analysts' expectations.
Elsewhere, financial stocks were broadly higher, led by Citigroup, up 1.74%, and closely followed by Bank of America, whose shares rallied 1.14%, while JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs rose 0.76% and 0.09% respectively.
Other stocks expected to be in focus included Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lockheed Martin, 3M, Microsoft and Starbucks, due to report earnings later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were higher. The EURO STOXX 50 added 0.23%, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.39%, Germany's DAX edged up 0.21%, while Britain's FTSE 100 climbed 0.83%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.15%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.28%.
Also Thursday, data showed that China’s preliminary HSBC manufacturing PMI improved to 51.9 in January, a two-year high, from a final reading of 51.5 in December, adding to signs of a rebound in the world’s second largest economy.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.31%, the S&P 500 index added 0.18%, while the Nasdaq Composite index tumbled 1.12%.
The U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending January 19 fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000, the lowest level since January 2008, compared to expectations for an increase of 20,000 to 355,000.
Jobless claims for the preceding week stood at 335,000 people.
Any improvement in the U.S. economy could scale back expectations for further monetary easing by the Federal Reserve, boosting the U.S. dollar.
Tech giant Apple saw shares dive 11.31% after the company announced late Wednesday that it misses analysts' revenue forecast for the third straight quarter, after iPhone sales came in below expectations. Apple shares dove 8.90% in pre-market trade.
In addition, a U.S. trade panel that specializes in patent disputes was set to review a key decision in the patent fight between Samsung Electronics and Apple over smartphones and tablets.
Noble Corp added to losses, tumbling 1.81% after reporting a lower-than-expected quarterly profit as it struggled with maintenance for five high-end rigs, even as demand for its most capable units increased.
On the upside, Netflix skyrocketed 40.88% after the company announced a quarterly profit that blew past expectations, as the video subscription service added nearly 4 million customers in the U.S. and abroad.
Hard disk drive maker Western Digital also trended higher, jumping 1.04%, as the group's second-quarter results beat analysts' expectations.
Elsewhere, financial stocks were broadly higher, led by Citigroup, up 1.74%, and closely followed by Bank of America, whose shares rallied 1.14%, while JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs rose 0.76% and 0.09% respectively.
Other stocks expected to be in focus included Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lockheed Martin, 3M, Microsoft and Starbucks, due to report earnings later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were higher. The EURO STOXX 50 added 0.23%, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.39%, Germany's DAX edged up 0.21%, while Britain's FTSE 100 climbed 0.83%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.15%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.28%.
Also Thursday, data showed that China’s preliminary HSBC manufacturing PMI improved to 51.9 in January, a two-year high, from a final reading of 51.5 in December, adding to signs of a rebound in the world’s second largest economy.