Investing.com - U.S. stock prices ended Thursday in positive territory after Chinese trade data came in better than expected.
Trading was rather light as investors braced for earnings season to pick up next week
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.60%, the S&P 500 index was up 0.76%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.51%.
The Chinese government reported earlier that imports and exports beat expectations in December and widened China's trade surplus to USD31.6 billion from USD19.6 billion in November.
Analysts were expecting a surplus of USD19.7 billion.
Chinese exports grew 14.1% on year in December, beating out expectations for a 5% gain.
Imports expanded by 6% on year, beating expectations for a 3.5% increase.
The news sent stocks gaining as investors began to look ahead to the coming week, when earnings season heats up
After the closing bell on Thursday, American Express reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of USD1.09, beating expectations for USD1.06.
Revenue came in at USD8.1 billion, compared with expectations for USD8.12 billion.
In after-hours trading, the company's shares were up 1.09% at USD61.45.
Elsewhere in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless claims in the week ending January 5 rose by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 371,000, compared to expectations for a decline of 2,000 to 365,000.
Jobless claims for the preceding week were revised down to 367,000 from a previously reported 372,000.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Bank of America, up 2.97%, Hewlett-Packard, up 2.78%, and Intel, up 1.68%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included Alcoa, down 1.21%, Microsoft, down 0.82%, and DuPont, down 0.52%.
European indices, meanwhile, finished mixed.
After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.07%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.39%, while Germany's DAX 30 finished down 0.16%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 finished up 0.05%.
On Friday, the U.S. will release a government report on the country's trade balance.
Trading was rather light as investors braced for earnings season to pick up next week
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.60%, the S&P 500 index was up 0.76%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.51%.
The Chinese government reported earlier that imports and exports beat expectations in December and widened China's trade surplus to USD31.6 billion from USD19.6 billion in November.
Analysts were expecting a surplus of USD19.7 billion.
Chinese exports grew 14.1% on year in December, beating out expectations for a 5% gain.
Imports expanded by 6% on year, beating expectations for a 3.5% increase.
The news sent stocks gaining as investors began to look ahead to the coming week, when earnings season heats up
After the closing bell on Thursday, American Express reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of USD1.09, beating expectations for USD1.06.
Revenue came in at USD8.1 billion, compared with expectations for USD8.12 billion.
In after-hours trading, the company's shares were up 1.09% at USD61.45.
Elsewhere in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless claims in the week ending January 5 rose by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 371,000, compared to expectations for a decline of 2,000 to 365,000.
Jobless claims for the preceding week were revised down to 367,000 from a previously reported 372,000.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Bank of America, up 2.97%, Hewlett-Packard, up 2.78%, and Intel, up 1.68%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included Alcoa, down 1.21%, Microsoft, down 0.82%, and DuPont, down 0.52%.
European indices, meanwhile, finished mixed.
After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.07%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.39%, while Germany's DAX 30 finished down 0.16%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 finished up 0.05%.
On Friday, the U.S. will release a government report on the country's trade balance.