Stocks Ended with Gains, Shaking Off Earlier Losses

U.S. stocks ended with gains choppily on Thursday, shaking off earlier losses after weak jobless claims report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 52.31 points, or 0.20%, to 26,815.44. The S&P 500 added 25.28 points, or 0.30%, to 3,246.59. The Nasdaq Composite gained 39.28 points, or 0.37%, to 10,672.27.

Oil futures finished higher on Thursday, supported by signs of tighter U.S. crude supplies. West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery edged up by 38 cents, or nearly 1%, to settle at $40.31 a barrel. November Brent crude added 17 cents, or 0.4%, to trade at $41.94 a barrel.