Stocks End Higher as Apple Rebounds

U.S.stocks closed modestly higher on Thursday as a rebound in shares of Apple helped boost technology shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 39.55 points, or 0.30%, to 13,074.04. The S&P 500 index advanced 4.66 points, or 0.33%, to 1,413.94. The Nasdaq Composite rose 15.57 points, or 0.52%, to 2,989.27,

The net wealth of U.S. households rose in the third quarter to its highest since late 2007, providing a hopeful sign for future consumer spending. Net financial wealth grew $1.72 trillion to $64.77 trillion, the Federal Reserve said on Thursday.

Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages ticked up this week just slightly above their record lows, keeping home-buying and refinancing attractive to consumers. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year loan ticked up to 3.34 percent, above last week’s rate of 3.32 percent.