Stocks Ended Slightly Higher amid Trade War De-escalation, ECB Stimulus

U.S. stocks slightly higher on Thursday, following a further de-escalation of near-term U.S.-China trade tensions and a new round of stimulus measures by the European Central Bank. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 45.41 points, or 0.17%, to 27,182.45. The S&P 500 advanced 8.64 points, or 0.29%, to 3,009.57. The Nasdaq Composite gained 24.79 points, or 0.30%, to 8,194.47.

Oil futures finished with a loss on Thursday as OPEC and its allies reiterated their commitment to current output cuts, but failed to announce bigger production cuts as some had expected in the wake of easing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery fell 66 cents, or 1.2%, to settle at $55.09 a barrel. November Brent crude lost 43 cents, or 0.7%, to $60.38 a barrel.