Mixed Results

Verizon, AT&T, and Walt Disney led the Dow lower on Thursday. The S&P 500 ended with fractional gains while a slide in Apple shares pressured the Nasdaq. Enthusiasm over better-than-expected jobless claims data faded as the session progressed. The Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell 30,000 to 339,000 last week. Economists had expected 370,000 new claims. On another note, the Census Bureau reported that the U.S. trade deficit expanded to $44.22 billion in August from $42.47 billion in July. Economists had anticipated a trade gap of $44 billion. Elsewhere, crude oil futures added 82 cents to settle at $92.07 a barrel.

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