Stocks Ended Higher, Oil Prices Fell

U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday, as investors considered a wave of conflicting updates on U.S.-China trade negotiations and a mixed set of new domestic economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 91.87 points, or 0.36%, to 25,717.46. The S&P 500 added 10.07 points, or 0.36%, to 2,815.44. The Nasdaq Composite gained 25.79 points, or 0.34%, to 7,669.17.

Oil futures fell on Thursday, as recent domestic supply data surprised with a gain. West Texas Intermediate crude for May delivery lost 11 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $59.30 a barrel. May Brent crude fell a penny to $67.82 a barrel.

There were signs of progress in U.S.-China trade talks, with Beijing officials making unprecedented proposals to resolve a long-running tariff dispute with Washington, Reuters reported.