Stocks ended mostly higher Thursday, finding support after another drop in first-time jobless claims. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose around 139 points, or 0.4%, to finish near 34,462, while the S&P 500 gained around 5 points, or 0.1%, to close near 4,201. The Nasdaq Composite edged around 2 points lower to end around 13,736. Initial jobless claims sank 38,000 to 406,000 in the week ended May 22, the government said Thursday — the fewest number of first-time requests for benefits since the onset of the pandemic nearly 15 months ago.
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