Indices closed out Thursday’s session with gains. Bank of America, General Electric, and Intel led the Dow’s ascent. Brands prospered amid a variety of economic news. A final reading on second-quarter Gross Domestic Product was less than impressive. The headline growth number was revised down to 1.3 percent on an annualized basis. Down from a 2 percent increase in the first quarter, economists had expected the level to remain unchanged at the previous estimate of 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported a decrease in initial jobless claims. New claims fell by 26,000 to 359,000 last week, from an upwardly revised result of 385,000 in the prior week. Economists had anticipated 378,000 new claims. Elsewhere, the Census Bureau said durable goods orders declined 13.2 percent in August, well down from a 3.3 percent jump in July. Discounting transportation, however, orders fell 1.6 percent.
