Stocks Opened Lower after Jobless Claims Data

U.S. stocks opened lower on Thursday as investors digested an uptick in jobless claims and speculation that the Federal Reserve
could adopt a more hawkish attitude toward interest rates at its meeting next week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately dropped
56.32 points, or 0.33%, to 17,012.39. The S&P 500 was down 4.90 points, or 0.25%, to 1,990.79. The Nasdaq Composite lost 15.00
points, or 0.33%, to 4,571.52.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week to a two-month high, interrupting a steady
decrease to the lowest level since before the last recession. Jobless claims climbed by 11,000 to 315,000 in the week ended Sept. 6,
which included the Labor Day holiday, a Labor Department report showed today.

RadioShack says it may need more capital to help complete its turnaround efforts. CEO Joseph Magnacca said in a statement on
Thursday that the consumer electronics company is actively exploring options for overhauling its balance sheet and is in advanced
talks with “a number of parties.”

Kroger Co. (KR) raised its full fiscal year profit and sales outlook on the heels of better-than-expected second-quarter results.
The company now expects fiscal 2014 per-share earnings of $3.22 to $3.28, and year-over-year same-store sales growth of 3.5% to
4.25%, compared with its previous forecasts of $3.19 to $3.27 and 3% to 4%, respectively. For the second quarter, net profit came in
at $347 million, or 70 cents a share, up from $317 million, or 60 cents a share, a year ago. Total sales rose 12% to $25.3 billion.