New York - US stocks managed to hold modest gains on Wednesday after a series of economic reports led by better-than-expected data on jobless claims kept the mood positive ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 30.31 points (0.29%) to 10 464.02 at the closing bell after modest losses a day earlier.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 6.87 points (0.32 percent) to 2 176.05 while the Standard & Poor's 500 index added 4.91 points (0.44 percent) to a preliminary close of 1 110.56.
Market action came after a series of economic reports that sent mixed signals to traders. Trading was quiet with many participants absent ahead of Thursday's holiday.
One report showed initial claims for US jobless insurance benefits plunged to their lowest levels since September last year.
The adjusted number of new unemployment claims in the week ending November 21 decreased by 35 000 to 466 000 from the previous week's revised figure of 501 000.
- AFP