Stocks Mostly Closed Higher on European Data

U.S. stocks mostly finished higher on Wednesday, led by gains in Microsoft Corp and encouraging European economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 128.66 points, or 0.82%, to end at 15,746.88. The S&P 500 advanced 7.52, or 0.43%, to close at 1,770.49. The Nasdaq Composite bucked the positive trend, closing down 7.91 points, or 0.20%, at 3,931.95.

German industrial orders rose by more than expected, which is significant as the country is the
economic engine of the euro zone.

All eyes will be on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday to see whether the Big Board can pull off Twitter’s initial public offering without the glitches that plagued Facebook’s 2012 trading debut.

Video game maker Activision Blizzard Inc said its revenue and income fell in the third quarter. The company said non-GAAP revenue, adjusted for the deferral of digital revenue and other items, dropped 12.5 percent to $657 million from $751 million a year ago. It reported non-GAAP income of
8 cents per share, compared to 15 cents per share in the year-ago period.

Blockbuster’s remaining retail stores—approximately 300 of them—will close by early January, Dish
said, although domestic and international franchise operations can continue.