Stocks Ended Slightly Higher on Healthcare Gains

U.S. stocks closed slightly higher on Thursday, on gains in McDonald’s and healthcare names. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 40.49 points, or 0.18%, to 22,381.20. The S&P 500 gained 3.02 points, or 0.12%, to 2,510.06 . The Nasdaq Composite added 0.19 points, to 6,453.45.

Oil prices finished lower Thursday, pulling back after hefty month-to-date gains as traders take positions ahead of the conclusion of the third quarter. West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery fell by 58 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $51.56 a barrel. November Brent crude shed 49 cents, or 0.9%, to $57.41 a barrel.

Rite Aid Corp. (RAD) reported weak same-store sales and missed revenue expectations for the fiscal second quarter ended Aug. 30. Revenue slipped 4.4% to $7.7 billion. Same-store sales slid 3.4%, marking the fifth consecutive quarterly decline. Earnings increased to 16 cents per share, or $170.7 million, up from one cent per share in the same period last year.