Cautious optimism about the job market gave stocks a modest lift Thursday, one day before the government’s report on December employment. Stocks closed mostly higher after many retailers issued upbeat holiday sales figures and the Labor Department reported a leveling of the number of newly laid-off workers applying for unemployment benefits.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 33.18, or 0.3 percent, to 10,606.86.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 4.55, or 0.4 percent, to 1,141.69.
The Nasdaq composite index fell 1.04, or 0.1 percent, to 2,300.05.
For the week:
The Dow is up 178.81, or 1.7 percent.
The S&P is up 26.59, or 2.4 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 30.90, or 1.4 percent.
For the year:
The Dow is up 178.81, or 1.7 percent.
The S&P is up 26.59, or 2.4 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 30.90, or 1.4 percent.