Investing.com - U.S. stocks finished higher on Thursday amid hopes the March jobs report due for release on Friday will meet or exceed expectations despite disappointing weekly jobless claims released earlier.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.38%, the S&P 500 index rose 0.40%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.20%.
The U.S., the Department of Labor reported earlier that the number of people filing for initial jobless benefits last week rose by 28,000 to 385,000, defying expectations for a decrease of 7,000 to 350,000.
Investors avoided ditching equities, however, as hopes still persisted the March jobs report will draw applause on Wall Street Friday.
On Wednesday, payroll processor ADP reported earlier that nonfarm payrolls increased by 158,000 in March, well below expectations for a gain of 200,000, following an upwardly revised increase of 237,000 in February.
Elsewhere, the Bank of Japan said it would double the size of its government holdings in two years with the aim of seeing inflation rates rise to 2% to fight decades of a stagnant economy, which bolstered stocks as well.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Hewlett-Packard, up 1.83%, AT&T, up 1.69%, and McDonald's, up 1.42%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included Cisco Systems, down 0.75%, IBM, down 0.62%, and Alcoa, down 0.60%.
European indices, meanwhile, finished lower.
After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.67%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.77%, while Germany's DAX 30 finished down 0.73%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 finished fell 1.19%.
Markets will eagerly await the release of the U.S. Labor Department's closely watched government report on nonfarm payrolls and the unemployment rate, as well as data on average hourly earnings and the trade balance.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.38%, the S&P 500 index rose 0.40%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.20%.
The U.S., the Department of Labor reported earlier that the number of people filing for initial jobless benefits last week rose by 28,000 to 385,000, defying expectations for a decrease of 7,000 to 350,000.
Investors avoided ditching equities, however, as hopes still persisted the March jobs report will draw applause on Wall Street Friday.
On Wednesday, payroll processor ADP reported earlier that nonfarm payrolls increased by 158,000 in March, well below expectations for a gain of 200,000, following an upwardly revised increase of 237,000 in February.
Elsewhere, the Bank of Japan said it would double the size of its government holdings in two years with the aim of seeing inflation rates rise to 2% to fight decades of a stagnant economy, which bolstered stocks as well.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Hewlett-Packard, up 1.83%, AT&T, up 1.69%, and McDonald's, up 1.42%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included Cisco Systems, down 0.75%, IBM, down 0.62%, and Alcoa, down 0.60%.
European indices, meanwhile, finished lower.
After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.67%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.77%, while Germany's DAX 30 finished down 0.73%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 finished fell 1.19%.
Markets will eagerly await the release of the U.S. Labor Department's closely watched government report on nonfarm payrolls and the unemployment rate, as well as data on average hourly earnings and the trade balance.