U.S. stocks mixed after jobless data, ECB; Dow Jones down 0.19%

Investing.com - U.S. stocks opened mixed on Thursday, after tepid U.S. jobless data, while European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the bank would closely monitor developments in the markets amid concerns over the effect of the stronger euro on the region's economic recovery.

During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.19%, the S&P 500 index dipped 0.03%, while the Nasdaq Composite index inched up 0.04%.

In a report, the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending February 3 fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 366,000, compared to expectations for a decline of 11,000 to 360,000.

Jobless claims for the preceding week were revised up to 371,000 from a previously reported gain of 368,000.

The data came after Draghi said the recent appreciation in the single currency reflected growing signs of a return of investor confidence in the euro zone.

He added that economic weakness in the euro area would persist during the early part of 2013 but said the economy should start to recover “later” in the year.

CVS Caremark slipped 0.18% after saying it bought Drogaria Onofre, Brazil's eighth-largest drugstore chain, marking the first time the drugstore and pharmacy services company has ventured outside the U.S.

In the tech sector, Michael Dell and his investment firm are reportedly putting up USD750 million in cash toward the USD24.4 billion purchase of Dell Inc. Shares in the company dropped 0.35% at the open of the U.S. trading session.

Akamai also trended lower, diving 18.11% after the Internet content delivery company handed in a disappointing current-quarter revenue outlook.

On the upside, Herbalife surged 1.98% as it disclosed more information on Wednesday about how much its U.S. distributors earn, looking to provide more clarity as it defends its business model from critics.

DeVry added to gains, skyrocketing 21.71% after the for-profit education company blew past earnings expectations and JPMorgan raised its rating on the firm to "neutral" from "underweight."

Meanwhile, financial stocks were mixed. Shares in Citigroup advanced 0.42% and Goldman Sachs climbed 0.72%, while JP Morgan dipped 0.02% and Bank of America retreated 0.50%.

Other stocks in focus included Coca-Cola, Hasbro, Philip Morris International and Sprint Nextel, all due to report earnings later in the day.

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were mixed to higher. The EURO STOXX 50 climbed 0.58%, France’s CAC 40 inched up 0.08%, Germany's DAX advanced 0.71%, while Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.37%.

During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 0.34%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index tumbled 0.93%.