Nasdaq Up 6 Days in a Row

U.S. stocks ended modestly higher on Thursday, with the Nasdaq up for a sixth straight session, as investors shrugged off disappointing data on jobs and consumer spending. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 63.65 points or 0.4 percent, to 16,027.59. The S&P 500 gained 10.57 points or 0.58 percent, to 1,829.77. The Nasdaq Composite added 39.38 points or 0.94 percent, to 4,240.67.

American International Group, Inc. (AIG) posted a fourth-quarter profit, compared with a year-earlier loss, and raised its quarterly dividend.The company reported net income of $1.98 billion, or $1.34 per share, for the quarter ended December 31, compared with a loss of $3.96 billion, or $2.68 per share, a year earlier.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.28% in the week that ended Feb. 13 from 4.23% in the prior week, which was the lowest level since November, according to a Thursday report from federally controlled mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

A federal appeals court has cleared the way for thousands of workers to be compensated for medical treatment for exposure to crude oil or chemical dispersants during the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.