Investing.com - U.S. stocks opened mixed on Thursday, after the release of U.S. economic reports sparked fresh uncertainty over the strength of the U.S. recovery and whether or not the Federal Reserve will soon begin tapering its stimulus program.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.13%, the S&P 500 index dipped 0.02%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.22%.
The Department of Labor said the number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week rose to a two month high of 368,000, compared to expectations for an increase to 320,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 300,000.
A separate report showed that U.S. retail sales rose 0.7% in November, above expectations for a 0.6% increase. Core retail sales rose 0.4%, above forecasts for a 0.2% increase the Commerce Department said.
Recent news that U.S. Congressional leaders reached an agreement on a two year budget deal was seen as increasing the likelihood that the Fed would begin to scale back its USD85 billion a month asset purchase program at next week’s policy meeting.
Boeing slipped 0.22%, even as the aircraft manufacturer ousted Airbus as Air Canada’s primary supplier of narrow-body jets, winning an order valued at USD6.5 billion for the 737 Max model.
In the financial sector, JPMorgan Chase rose 0.32% after the New York Times reported that JPMorgan Chase may have to pay about USD2 billion to resolve U.S. probes into whether the bank ignored signs of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.
Adding to gains, Facebook surged 3.04% as it was expected to join the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 Index next week, cementing the social-networking company’s recovery from the turbulence that followed last year’s initial public offering.
Among earnings, Lululemon Athletica reported third-quarter results that topped estimates, but projected flat same-store sales in the fourth quarter, sending shares down 8.35%.
Ciena plummeted 3.28% after the provider of fiber-optic networking gear for telecommunications companies reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings below market expectations.
Elsewhere, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, the world’s biggest hotel operator, raised USD2.35 billion in a record initial public offering for a lodging company.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 declined 0.56%, France’s CAC 40 slid 0.33%, Germany's DAX retreated 0.63%, while Britain's FTSE 100 lost 0.74%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined 0.51%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index tumbled 1.12%.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.13%, the S&P 500 index dipped 0.02%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.22%.
The Department of Labor said the number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week rose to a two month high of 368,000, compared to expectations for an increase to 320,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 300,000.
A separate report showed that U.S. retail sales rose 0.7% in November, above expectations for a 0.6% increase. Core retail sales rose 0.4%, above forecasts for a 0.2% increase the Commerce Department said.
Recent news that U.S. Congressional leaders reached an agreement on a two year budget deal was seen as increasing the likelihood that the Fed would begin to scale back its USD85 billion a month asset purchase program at next week’s policy meeting.
Boeing slipped 0.22%, even as the aircraft manufacturer ousted Airbus as Air Canada’s primary supplier of narrow-body jets, winning an order valued at USD6.5 billion for the 737 Max model.
In the financial sector, JPMorgan Chase rose 0.32% after the New York Times reported that JPMorgan Chase may have to pay about USD2 billion to resolve U.S. probes into whether the bank ignored signs of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.
Adding to gains, Facebook surged 3.04% as it was expected to join the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 Index next week, cementing the social-networking company’s recovery from the turbulence that followed last year’s initial public offering.
Among earnings, Lululemon Athletica reported third-quarter results that topped estimates, but projected flat same-store sales in the fourth quarter, sending shares down 8.35%.
Ciena plummeted 3.28% after the provider of fiber-optic networking gear for telecommunications companies reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings below market expectations.
Elsewhere, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, the world’s biggest hotel operator, raised USD2.35 billion in a record initial public offering for a lodging company.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 declined 0.56%, France’s CAC 40 slid 0.33%, Germany's DAX retreated 0.63%, while Britain's FTSE 100 lost 0.74%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined 0.51%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index tumbled 1.12%.