Thursday’s session closed in positive territory. IBM, JPMorgan Chase, and Procter & Gamble led gainers on the Dow. Brands moved up on a variety of encouraging economic data. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims held steady at 351,000 last week. The prior week’s numbers were revised up from 348,000 to 351,000. Meanwhile, crude oil tacked on $1.55 to settle at $107.83 a barrel. On another note, the Federal Housing Financial Agency said home prices increased by 0.7 percent in December, exceeding expectations. Elsewhere, the Gap posted quarterly details after the closing bell. The clothing retailer said profit hit $218 million, or 44 cents a share, down from $365 million, or 60 cents, a year ago.
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