Stocks Ended Mixed, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Eked out New Records

U.S. stocks ended mixed on Thursday, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq eking out fresh record highs as Biden announced more actions to combat COVID-19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 12.37 points, or 0.04%, to 31,176.01. The S&P 500 was up 1.22 points, or 0.03%, to 3,853.07. The Nasdaq Composite gained 73.67 points, or 0.55%, to 13,530.92.

Oil futures ended on a mixed note Thursday, with global prices slightly higher but U.S. prices modestly lower, as data from the American Petroleum Institute showed an unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories. West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery fell 18 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $53.13 a barrel, while March Brent crude tacked on 2 cents, or less than 0.1%, to $56.10 a barrel.