Stocks Fluctuated at the Open after Mixed Economic Data

U.S. stocks fluctuated between gains and losses at the open on Thursday following a deluge of mixed bag of economic reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately fell 14.76 points, or 0.08%, to 18,020.01. The S&P 500 shed 2.66 points, or 0.13%, to 2,123.11. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 3.92 points, or 0.08%, to 5,177.69.

The number of applications for unemployment benefits barely rose last week, indicating employers remain comfortable with staffing levels. Jobless claims edged up 1,000 in the week ended Sep. 10 to 260,000, a report from the Labor Department showed Thursday.

U.S. retail sales declined in August, a cautious signal about consumers’ ability to remain the primary driver of economic growth this year.Sales at retail stores, online and at restaurants fell 0.3% in August to a seasonally adjusted $456.32 billion last month, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Output at American manufacturers fell more than economists forecast in August, a sign the industry is having trouble finding its footing. The 0.4 percent decline at factories was the biggest drop since March and followed a 0.4 percent increase the prior month, a Federal Reserve report showed Thursday.

Oil prices edged up on Thursday after two consecutive days of losses, with gains capped by returning supplies from Nigeria and Libya. Brent crude futures were trading at $46.18 per barrel at 1300 GMT, up 33 cents, from the last settlement. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were up 22 cents, or 0.5 percent, at $43.80 a barrel.