Stocks Muster Modest Gains

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fought its way to a 6.51-point gain Thursday, raising the index to its highest level since May 2008 at 12,890.46.

Tech stocks continued their recent strong run, pushing the Nasdaq up 11.37 points to 2,927.23 while the S&P inched up 2 points to finish at 1,351.95.

Investors were encouraged by the Labor Department’s report that weekly jobless claims fell 15,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 358,000, hitting the second-lowest level in four years. Economists had expected claims to increase 3,000.

Meanwhile, wholesale inventories rose 1% in December, according to the Commerce Department, more than double the 0.4% improvement expected by most pundits.

Here are some more details from Thursday’s trading session:

Dow Jones Industrial Average:

  • Up three consecutive trading days and four of the last five sessions.
  • Up 45.33 points, or 0.35%, over the three-day period.
  • Highest closing value since May 19, 2008.
  • An intraday high of 12924.71 occurred at 09:58:41 today, representing an increase of 40.76 points, or 0.32%.
  • Highest intraday level since May 20, 2008.
  • An intraday low of 12846.41 occurred at 10:36:07 today, representing a decrease of 37.54 points, or 0.29%.
  • Sixteen of the 30 component stocks rose, 13 fell, one was unchanged.
  • Today's top five contributors to The Dow's movement and their point contribution: UTX (15.44), AXP (5.07), BA (3.33), DD (3.10), PG (3.03).
  • Today's bottom five laggards: CAT (-9.16), XOM (-3.33), JPM (-3.33), CSCO (-3.25), CVX (-2.95).
  • Down 8.99% from its record close of 14164.53 on October 09, 2007.
  • Up 96.89% from its bear market closing low of 6547.05 in March 2009.
  • Rose 5.41% from 52 weeks ago.
  • Up 4.29% from its 2012 closing low of 12359.92 on January 06, 2012.
  • Up 20.98% from its 52-week low of 10655.30 on October 03, 2011.
  • Month-to-date: up 2.04%.
  • Year-to-date: up 5.51%.
  • DJIA crossed zero 16 times during today's trading session.

 

Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index:

  • Dow Jones US Total Stock Market, 14109.41, up 17.78 points, or 0.13%, or approximately $20.1 billion in market Capitalization.
  • Up three consecutive trading days and six of the last seven sessions.
  • Up 69.49 points, or 0.49%, over the three-day period.
  • Highest closing value since July 08, 2011.
  • Down 10.39%, (approximately $2.7 trillion in market cap), from its record close of 15745.39 on October 09, 2007.
  • Up 107.49% (approximately $8.4 trillion in market cap), from the 12-½ year closing low of 6800.08 on March 9, 2009.
  • Rose 2.22% from 52 weeks ago.
  • Up 6.84% from its 2012 closing low of 13206.64 on January 04, 2012.
  • Down 1.39% from its 52-week high of 14308.37 on April 29, 2011.
  • Up 24.87% from its 52-week low of 11299.07 on October 03, 2011.
  • Month-to-date: up 3.27%, or approximately $529 billion in market cap.
  • Year-to-date: up 8.37%, or approximately $1.3 trillion in market cap.

Data courtesy of Dow Jones Indexes.

 

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