Stocks Ended Lower, Oil Futures Settled Higher

U.S. stocks ended lower on Thursday amid new developments that could raise tensions between the U.S. and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 147.63 points, or 0.58%, to 25,400.64. The S&P 500 shed 6.40 points, or 0.21%, to 3,029.73. The Nasdaq Composite retreated 43.37 points, or 0.46%, to 9,368.99.

Oil futures reversed early losses to trade with strong gains Thursday, waving off data that showed an unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories as traders focused on a fall in gasoline stocks. West Texas Intermediate crude for July delivery rose 90 cents,or 2.7%, to finish at $33.71 a barrel, while August Brent crude gained 55 cents per barrel, or 1.6%, to finish at $35.29 a barrel.