New York - US stock markets edged down Thursday after unemployment claims rose more than expected, while traders sold off the dollar.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 20.97 points (0.18%) in opening trades to 11 734.47.
The broader S&P 500 index lost 1.59 (0.12%) to reach 1 284.37.
And the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index lost 5.72 points (0.21%) at 2 731.61.
New US claims for unemployment benefits rose 35 000 last week over the previous week, the Labor Department reported.
New claims hit 445 000 in the week ending January 8. Economists had expected claims to hit just 415 000.
That put downward pressure on stocks.
"Initial jobless claims rose much more than expected, overshadowing another successful debt auction in Europe and an unexpected narrowing of the US trade deficit," analysts at Charles Schwab said.
A successful Spanish bond sale eased tensions over eurozone before a key European Central Bank interest rate decision, putting pressure on the dollar.