LONDON: U.S. stock indexes closed slightly higher on Thursday, rebounding from a two-day slide as investors looked ahead to the start of the next round of corporate earnings beginning next week.
Traders drew encouragement from the latest economic data, particularly a government report indicating a steep drop in applications for unemployment benefits last week. That appeared to reassure investors that the government will report solid job growth for March.
“There is a little bit of an expectation that the jobs number will come in good,” said JJ Kinahan, TD Ameritrade’s chief strategist. That report is due out Friday, when markets will be closed for Good Friday.
Consumer discretionary stocks were among the biggest risers. The price of oil fell back below $50 a barrel after the U.S., five other world powers and Iran reached an agreement that could soon lift sanctions on Iran and allow the country to export more crude.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 65.06 points, or 0.4 percent, to 17,763.24. The 30-company index is down 0.3 percent for the year.
The S&P 500 index rose 7.27 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,066.96. The index is now up 0.4 percent for the year.
The Nasdaq composite added 6.71 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,886.94. The tech-heavy index ended is up about 3.2 percent this year.
