U.S. stocks posted modest gains ahead of tomorrow's Thanksgiving holiday, on which all domestic markets will be closed. Equities found support from a profusion of mainly upbeat domestic reports, including an unexpected drop in jobless claims and a larger-than-forecasted upward revision to consumer sentiment. Treasuries were mostly lower following the domestic data, which also included a smaller-than-expected deceleration in regional manufacturing growth, and a fourth-straight month of improvement for Leading Indicators. Additionally, separate reports showed U.S. durable goods orders fell and mortgage applications dipped. On the equity front, Hewlett-Packard Co posted stronger-than-expected 4Q results, while CVS Caremark Corp announced an agreement to acquire Coram LLC, a business unit of Apria Healthcare Group Inc, for about $2.1 billion. The U.S. dollar was higher, while gold and crude oil prices were lower.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was 25 points (0.2%) higher at 16,097, the S&P 500 Index increased 4 points (0.2%) to 1,807, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 27 points (0.7%) to 4,045. In light volume, 522 million shares were traded on the NYSE, and 1.5 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil fell $1.38 to $92.30 per barrel, wholesale gasoline gained $0.01 to $2.69 per gallon, and the Bloomberg gold spot price declined $4.44 to $1,238.41 per ounce. Elsewhere, the Dollar Index-a comparison of the US dollar to six major world currencies-was 0.2% higher at 80.74.
Source;SCWHAB
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was 25 points (0.2%) higher at 16,097, the S&P 500 Index increased 4 points (0.2%) to 1,807, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 27 points (0.7%) to 4,045. In light volume, 522 million shares were traded on the NYSE, and 1.5 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil fell $1.38 to $92.30 per barrel, wholesale gasoline gained $0.01 to $2.69 per gallon, and the Bloomberg gold spot price declined $4.44 to $1,238.41 per ounce. Elsewhere, the Dollar Index-a comparison of the US dollar to six major world currencies-was 0.2% higher at 80.74.
Source;SCWHAB
